Malaria prevalence in endemic districts of Bangladesh.
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.
Haque
Ubydul
U
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Ahmed
Syed Masud
SM
Hossain
Shahed
S
Huda
Mamun
M
Hossain
Awlad
A
Alam
Mohammad Shafiul
MS
Mondal
Dinesh
D
Khan
Wasif Ali
WA
Khalequzzaman
Mohammod
M
Haque
Rashidul
R
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
D000962:Antimalarials; D000077611:Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination; D037621:Artemisinins; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004983:Ethanolamines; D005449:Fluorenes
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