Prevalence of malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women at booking in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Malaria is a major public health concern among pregnant women in sub‐Saharan Africa. Within the region, Nigeria has the highest malaria cases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women at a booking clinic in Ibadan, Nigeria. METHODS: A cross‐sectional study was conducted between January and April 2021 at the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria. A sample of 300 pregnant women participated, and anaemia and malaria were diagnosed using packed cell volume and Giemsa‐stained blood smears, respectively. Data analysis was done using SPSS 25.0. RESULTS: The study found that 26 (8.70%) pregnant women tested positive for malaria parasitaemia. Factors such as age, religion, level of education, and occupation were significantly related to the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women with p < 0.05. CONCLUSION: Our study identified a high prevalence of malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women with demographic factors such as age, religion, level of education, and occupation significantly associated. Targeted malaria control interventions for pregnant women with low levels of education and low‐income occupations are necessary, with more research needed to evaluate their effectiveness.