Abstract

Malaria infection in pregnant women is associated with high risks of both maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in most tropical countries including Cameroon. Prevention and control of the disease and early and early diagnosis and treatment in these countries is an essential step in reducing mortality especially in pregnant women and their unborn babies.

While the mechanism is poorly understood, pregnant women have a reduced immune response and therefore less effectively clear malaria infections. In addition, malaria parasites isolate and replicate in the placenta.

Pregnant women are three times more likely to develop the severe disease than non-pregnant women acquiring infections from the same area. Malaria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, premature delivery, low birth weight, congenital infection, and/or perinatal death.

This work entitled “the association between malaria parasitemia and ABO blood group type in pregnant women” was across a sectional hospital-based study that was carried out at the Regina Pacis Hospital Mutengene southwest region of Cameroon, aimed at establishing the relationship between malaria parasitemia, anemia, and ABO blood group system in pregnant women so as to identify the blood group with more susceptibility to malaria was carried out amongst 108 pregnant women. Data were analyzed using SPSS.

Out of the 108 pregnant women, 43 (39.8%) were positive for malaria while 65 (60.2%) were negative. There was a significant statistical observation between malaria and blood group. . Here, 37.2% of the pregnant women with blood group “B+” had the highest prevalence rate, followed by blood group “A+” with 32.6% and blood group “O+” with 30.2%.

The Pearson correlation of 0.04 at 5% confidence interval indicates that there is a significant relationship between malaria parasitemia and the corresponding blood groups. Despite the dominance of the “O” group, it is still the group that is less prone to malaria but more prone to anemia in Mutengene Health Area.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host and gets its food from or at the expense of its host. Parasites can cause disease in humans (CDC, 2015). Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illnesses. Left untreated, they may develop severe complications and die (WHO, 2015).

According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2015 an estimated 214 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide and 438,000 people died, mostly children in the African Region.

However, malaria remains a major public health problem, even though it is both preventable and treatable. Malaria in pregnancy is detrimental to the woman and her fetus and collective data demonstrate that the risk of adverse effects from untreated malaria in pregnancy outweighs those of treatment.

The protozoan parasites P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale (extremely rarely P. knowlesi), are transmitted by the bite of a sporozoite-bearing female anopheles mosquito. Anaemia in pregnancy has been associated with maternal morbidity and mortality and is a risk factor for low birth weight.

The ABO blood group antigens remain of prime importance in transfusion medicine—they are the most immunogenic of all the blood group antigens. The most common cause of death from a blood transfusion is a clerical error in which an incompatible type of ABO blood is transfused.

The ABO blood group antigens also appear to have been important throughout our evolution because the frequencies of different ABO blood types vary among different populations, suggesting that a particular blood type conferred a selection advantage (example. resistance against infectious disease).

1.2 Rationale to the Study

Despite measures being put in place by National and International bodies such as the Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organization respectively, current statistics still indicate that malaria is still a leading cause of anemia which is fatal and may lead to death in pregnancy for both mother and child.

This study will help and go a long way to create awareness and encourage women to visit the clinic so that the parasite can be detected earlier and treated. It will also make the pregnant women observe basic hygienic conditions to exclude the vectors around them, encourage them to always sleep under treated mosquito nets.

Even though malaria is easily diagnosed and treated it is a major problem in Cameroon especially with pregnant women.

1.3 Research Hypothesis

Malaria is more prevalent in pregnant women with blood group “O” and consequent high anemic level in this blood group than those with groups A, B, and AB.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

1.4.1 General Objective

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between malaria parasitemia, anaemia, and ABO blood group in pregnant women in the Mutengene Health Area (Regina Pacis) Hospital Mutengene.

1.4.2 Specific Objectives      

1. To compare anaemic levels and blood groups among pregnant women
2. To investigate the relationship between malaria infection and blood group type of pregnant women.

1.5 Research Questions

1. What is the prevalence of malaria parasitemia based on the blood group in pregnant women in Mutengene health area
2. Which blood group is more resistant to malaria parasitemia in pregnant women in the Mutengene community?
3. Which blood group is more prone to anaemia in the Mutengene health area?