title: Malaria prevalence in endemic districts of Bangladesh.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Following the 1971 ban of DDT in Bangladesh, malaria cases have increased steadily. Malaria persists as a major health problem in the thirteen south-eastern and north-eastern districts of Bangladesh. At present the national malaria control program, largely supported by the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), provides interventions including advocacy at community level, Insecticide Treated Net (ITN) distribution, introduction of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) and combination therapy with Coartem. It is imperative, therefore, that baseline data on malaria prevalence and other malaria indicators are collected to assess the effectiveness of the interventions and rationalize the prevention and control efforts. The objective of this study was to obtain this baseline on the prevalence of malaria and bed net use in the thirteen malaria endemic districts of Bangladesh.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2007, BRAC and ICDDR,B carried out a malaria prevalence survey in thirteen malaria endemic districts of Bangladesh. A multi-stage cluster sampling technique was used and 9750 blood samples were collected. Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) were used for the diagnosis of malaria. The weighted average malaria prevalence in the thirteen endemic districts was 3.97%. In five south-eastern districts weighted average malaria prevalence rate was 6.00% and in the eight north-eastern districts weighted average malaria prevalence rate was (0.40%). The highest malaria prevalence was observed in Khagrachari district. The majority of the cases (90.18%) were P. falciparum infections. Malaria morbidity rates in five south-eastern districts was 2.94%. In eight north-eastern districts, morbidity was 0.07%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bangladesh has hypoendemic malaria with P. falciparum the dominant parasite species. The malaria situation in the five north-eastern districts of Bangladesh in particular warrants urgent attention. Detailed maps of the baseline malaria prevalence and summaries of the data collected are provided along with the survey results in full, in a supplemental information.
authors.affiliation: International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Ubydul
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.forename: Syed Masud
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Shahed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: Mamun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huda
authors.forename: Awlad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.forename: Mohammad Shafiul
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.forename: Wasif Ali
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Mohammod
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khalequzzaman
authors.forename: Rashidul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haque
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077611:Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004338:Drug Combinations; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D000077611:Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination; D037621:Artemisinins; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004983:Ethanolamines; D005449:Fluorenes
references.citation: Br Med Bull. 2006 Feb 22;75-76:29-47
references.pmid: 16495509
references.citation: Lancet. 2005 Apr 23-29;365(9469):1487-98
references.pmid: 15850634
references.citation: J Infect. 2002 Oct;45(3):165-8
references.pmid: 12387772
references.citation: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2002 Oct;67(4):396-9
references.pmid: 12452493
references.citation: Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Oct;13(10):1494-6
references.pmid: 18257993
references.citation: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2005 Jun;72(6):682-7
references.pmid: 15964950
references.citation: PLoS Med. 2009 Mar 24;6(3):e1000048
references.pmid: 19323591
references.citation: Int J Epidemiol. 2006 Dec;35(6):1430-9
references.pmid: 16997849
references.citation: Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2008 Nov;79(5):652-4
references.pmid: 18981498
references.citation: Clin Microbiol Rev. 2002 Jan;15(1):66-78
references.pmid: 11781267
references.citation: PLoS One. 2008 May 07;3(5):e2081
references.pmid: 18461178
references.citation: World Health Stat Q. 1991;44(3):98-106
references.pmid: 1949887
references.citation: Indian J Med Res. 1996 Jan;103:26-45
references.pmid: 8926025
references.citation: Malar J. 2005 Dec 08;4:58
references.pmid: 16336671