Occurrence of Intestinal Parasites among Suspected Patients Attending Rubungo Health Center in Rwanda: Trend Analysis...

Intestinal parasitic infections are still a public health problem globally, affecting 3.5 billion people each year. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of intestinal parasites among suspected patients attending Rubungo Health Center in Rwanda.

This study used a quantitative retrospective cross-sectional design. A review of records on intestinal parasitic infections among both inpatients and outpatients who visited Rubungo Health Center between 2015 and 2019 was conducted. We used descriptive analysis and a chi-square test and logistic regression analysis to determine the significant factors associated with intestinal parasites.

Out of 389 patients tested for intestinal parasites, 62.7% were positive. From 2015 to 2018, cases showed a declining trend, but there was a sharp increase in 2019 to 22.1% from 14.3% in 2018, a change that showed marginal statistical significance (p = 0.054). Males were 2.16 times more likely to have Entamoeba histolytica than females (AoR: 2.16, 95%:1.10-4.16). E. histolytica was the most common parasite, with fluctuating prevalence, peaking in 2016-2018 and reaching 14.8% in 2015 and 2019. Age categories showed a significant positive association with E. histolytica parasite.

This study highlights a high prevalence of intestinal parasites in the Rubungo Health Center catchment area. The persistence of these infections despite WASH interventions suggests inadequate implementation and a need to strengthen the continued health education in the community to all age groups.