Prevalence of malaria and practice of prevention among HIV positive pregnant women at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital(AKTH), Kano)

A total of 360 primigravidae were studied at AKTH. 180 each of similar age and socioeconomic status were used as cases and controls in a prospective study. There was no statistically significant difference in their practice of malarial prevention at booking. The prevalence of malaria in their blood smears at booking was 32.22%, with the HIV infected cases accounting for23.33%, whilst the HIV uninfected accounted for 8.89%The prevalence of clinical malaria was significantly eight times higher and the prevalence of recurrent malaria was twenty six times higher in the HIV infected primigravidae as compared to the HIV uninfected primigravidae. Review of malarial prophylaxis in HIV infected primigravidae is recommended.Keywords: HIV infected, HIV uninfected, Malaria, Multigravidae, Primigravidae