Relative Contribution of Schistosomiasis and Malaria to Anemia in Western Kenya

Abstract

Because anemia is one of the markers of morbidity associated with schistosomiasis, it has been proposed as a potential measure to evaluate the impact of control programs. However, anemia is also a common consequence of malaria, and schistosomiasis and malaria are often co-endemic. To estimate the attributable fraction of anemia due to Schistosoma mansoni and Plasmodium falciparum infections, we applied a log-binomial model to four studies measuring these parameters of a combined 5,849 children in western Kenya. In our studies, malaria contributed 23.3%, schistosomiasis contributed 6.6%, and co-infection contributed 27.6% of the anemia. We conclude that in areas where S. mansoni and P. falciparum are co-endemic, the contribution of schistosomiasis to anemia is masked by anemia resulting from malaria, thus limiting anemia as a useful measure for schistosomiasis control programs in these settings.