Spatial differentials in malaria infection among children aged 6 to 59 months in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Malaria is endemic in Burkina Faso with an upsurge in the rainy season. It is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in health facilities in the country. Children, especially those aged 6-59 months, constitute the most vulnerable segment of the population. Three major climatic zones modulate its transmission in Burkina Faso and thus create strong spatial disparities. Based on 2017-2018 data from the Burkina Faso Malaria Indicator Survey (EIPBF), this study aims to contribute to the improvement of knowledge on the influence of individual and contextual factors on the spatial differentials of malaria infection in children aged 6-59 months in Burkina Faso. To verify this objective, at the descriptive level the chi2 test will be examined between the malaria attack of the child and each of the independent variables on the one hand, and on the other hand, the profile of the children suffering from malaria will be drawn up thanks to factor analysis and classification. At the explanatory level, this will be possible thanks to the multi-level analysis method. From a multi-level analysis, the results reveal that individual factors have more impact on childhood malaria infection than community factors. These have more impact than family factors. If in the meso-endemic zone, the most important explanatory factors are the place of residence and the age of the child, in the hypo-endemic zone, it is the age of the mother. While for the hyper-endemic zone, religion ranks first. Malaria control interventions should primarily target children aged 24 to 59 months living in rural areas in the meso-endemic zone. In hyper and hypo endemic areas, these interventions should focus on Christian mothers or mothers of other religions and mothers aged 15 to 24 years.

Keywords: Child, spatial differentials, malaria, endemic zone, Burkina Faso.