Malaria Treatment & Prevention

Malaria and Malnutrition

Started by Kileken ole-MoiYoi on 01 Jun 2010
Last edited by Sophie Beauvais on 18 Apr 2011

A recent article entitled “Malaria and Under-Nutrition: A community Based Study Among Under-Five Children at Risk of Malaria, South-West Ethiopia” found no association between malaria and under-nutrition (http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0010775#po...).

Findings from a similar article in June 2009 entitled, “Impact of child malnutrition on the specific anti-Plasmodium falciparum antibody response” indicate that the prevalence of anti-malarial immune responders were significantly lower in malnourished and stunted children (http://www.malariajournal.com/content/8/1/116).

The findings of these two articles indicate that the level of nutrition does not affect the probability of having malaria parasites in the blood. However, once infected with malaria, malnourished children are more likely to develop severe malaria due to a weakened immune response. What are your experiences with malnutrition and malaria and other potential factors such as income, family size, or maternal education?

Keywords: Background  Diagnostics & Treatment  Malaria nutrition stunting  prevention