A comparative analysis of the risk factors of malaria in children under the age of five in Uganda and Kenya

Abstract

The study aimed at comparing the risk factors of malaria in children under the age of five in Uganda and Kenya. The study used secondary data drawn from the Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey 2014-2015 and Kenya Malaria Indicator Survey 2015. Logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between a binary response variable (A child’s malaria status) and a set of explanatory variables. This was followed by a nonlinear multivariate decomposition logit regression model which was used to allow breakdown of differences in malaria status in children under the age of five years between Uganda and Kenya in to those due to differences in observable characteristics (endowments) and those due to different effects of these characteristics (coefficients). Age of the child (P<0.05), Mother’s educational level(P<0.05), the category of residence ( P<0.05), Wealth of the household (P<0.05) and region (P<0.05) were significantly associated with malaria status of children under the age of five in Uganda while Age of the child (P<0.05), Wealth of the household (P<0.05) and region (P<0.05) were significantly associated with malaria status of children under the age of five in Kenya. The overall difference in characteristics of children under five years of age contributed 16.43% of the differences in malaria status between Uganda and Kenya. The researcher found out that the Age of a child in months was a significant risk factor of Malaria and recommends that both Governments of Uganda and of Kenya through their respective Ministries of Health should strongly encourage children in this age bracket to sleep under long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets every day.