Determinants of acquiring malaria among displaced people in Khartoum state, Sudan

Abstract

A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among displaced people in Khartoum state to determine risk factors associated with malaria. Data were collected from 856 households about sociodemographic characteristics, history of malaria, and knowledge, attitudes and treatment-seeking behaviour. Overall, 68.2% reported a malaria attack among household members in the previous year. Risk of malaria attack was significantly associated with tribe, language, education, water supply and food expenditure. The highest rates of attack were among local language speakers (85.5%) and illiterate residents (70.4%). Half the respondents (50.2%) delayed seeking treatment for malaria. Knowledge, attitudes and practices had no association with malaria attacks, except for a 4.7-fold increased risk of malaria when obtaining water from carts rather than wells.