Prevalence of Malaria Infection among People Living with HIV/AIDS at Federal Medical Center Keffi (Nassarawa State), Nigeria

Background: Malaria and HIV are among the most important health problems of our time overlap extensively and co-infecting large numbers of people. The study was designed to determine the prevalence of malaria infection among those living with HIV/AIDS within age and sex groups.

Methods: A total of 200 blood samples of patients within the age range of 1 to 60 years old, attending Federal Medical Center, Keffi were examined for the presence of malaria parasites by thick blood film using Geimsa stain. Standard laboratory procedures were used for HIV screening and plasmodium parasites identification.

Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference (P<0.05) among age groups; with (1-10), (11-20) and (41-50) have the highest prevalence rate of infection (71.4%), while age (51-60) have the lowest prevalence (40%). In relation to gender female have the higher prevalence rate of (67.2%), while male have (61.5%). The research also revealed that patients with CD4 cell count less than 200 cells µℓ-1 has the higher prevalence rate of malaria infection (36.1%).

Conclusion: This indicates that HIV/AIDS patients have the highest rate of malaria and this could be as a result of immune compromised among the sample group. Which showed that female has the highest malaria infection rate together with age (0-10), (11-20) and (41-50) among age groups.