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Malaria in indigenous and non-indigenous patients aged under 15 years between 2007-2018, Amazonas state, Brazil
Mateus Ferreira de Aguiar1, Bruna Martins Meireles1, Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro2,3
1Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Escola de Enfermagem de Manaus, Manaus, AM, Brasil.
Insights
Indigenous children in Amazonas, Brazil, face higher malaria risks due to factors like younger age and specific Plasmodium falciparum infections. This highlights disparities and the greater health impact of malaria on indigenous populations.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Tropical Medicine
Background:
- Malaria disproportionately affects children due to their underdeveloped immune systems, leading to severe symptoms.
- Indigenous children in Amazonas, Brazil, are particularly vulnerable to malaria.
- Understanding malaria's impact on this demographic is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors associated with malaria in indigenous and non-indigenous children under 15 in Amazonas, Brazil.
- To analyze clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory data from 2007-2018.
- To compare malaria risk factors between indigenous and non-indigenous pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative, cross-sectional epidemiological study utilizing health system notification data (2007-2018).
- Inclusion criteria: patients under 15 years old diagnosed with malaria.
- Multivariable logistic regression analysis to compare indigenous and non-indigenous groups.
Main Results:
- Indigenous children had a higher likelihood of malaria.
- Associated factors included female sex, age 0-4 years, passive surveillance, high parasitemia, and Plasmodium falciparum infections.
- Timely treatment (within 48 hours of symptom onset) was also noted.
Conclusions:
- Malaria risk factors are more prevalent in indigenous children, indicating ethnic disparities.
- Increased malarial infections contribute to disease severity in this population.
- Malaria significantly impacts the health of indigenous children in Amazonas.
Background:
Malaria is a serious problem in children because the immune system is less developed, thus, causing more severe symptoms. This study aimed to identify factors associated with malaria in indigenous and non-indigenous patients aged under 15 years in Amazonas, Brazil, from 2007 to 2018.
Methods:
An epidemiological, quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted. Cases included patients aged under 15 years, using data from health system notifications between 2007 and 2018 in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. The variables included clinical-epidemiological, laboratory findings, and monitoring of cases. The outcome was ethnicity: indigenous, non-indigenous, and entries for which no ethnicity data were provided. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to compare the indigenous and non-indigenous populations.
Results:
Among malaria cases in patients aged under 15 years, there was a greater chance of being indigenous and having the following associated factors: female sex, children aged 0-4 years, passive case surveillance, a high load of parasitemia and the lack of data regarding the level of parasitemia, Plasmodium falciparum infections were more frequent, and timeliness of treatment, i.e., the interval between the onset of symptoms and time of treatment was within 48 hours.
Conclusions:
The factors associated with malaria are more frequent in indigenous populations and highlight differences according to ethnicity, suggesting that the severity of the disease is attributable to the increased number of malarial infections within this population. As a result, malaria has a greater impact on the health of indigenous people.
