Malawi 2015-16

treatment for children with fever; 79% of children with fever for whom advice or treatment was sought
accessed care through the public sector (Table 12.12).
Details on the types of antimalarial medicines given to children to treat fever are presented in Table 12.13.
The vast majority (92%) of children under age 5 with fever who took an antimalarial medicine were given
artemether-lumefantrine (locally known as LA), which is the ACT recommended as first-line treatment for
uncomplicated malaria in Malawi.
Trends: The percentage of children with fever who had blood taken from a finger or heel for testing has
increased substantially from 17% in 2010 to 52% in 2015-16. Among children with fever who received
antimalarial medications, the percentage who received ACT has increased from 84% in 2010 to 92% in
2015-16.
Patterns by background characteristics
• The prevalence of fever is higher among children in rural areas than children in urban areas (30%
versus 22%) (Table 12.11).
• Advice or treatment for fever is more likely to be sought for children in rural areas than for children in
urban areas (68% and 59%, respectively).
• Percentage of children under age 5 for whom advice or treatment for fever was sought is lowest in the
Northern region (58%) compared to the Central and Southern regions (69% and 68%, respectively).
• The percentage of under-five children who had blood taken from a finger or heel for testing is lowest
in children under 12 months (45%) compared to the other age groups (>50%).
12.7 PREVALENCE OF LOW HAEMOGLOBIN IN CHILDREN
Prevalence of low haemoglobin in children
Percentage of children age 6-59 months who had a haemoglobin
measurement of less than 8 grams per decilitre (g/dl) of blood. The cutoff of 8
g/dl is often used to classify malaria-related anaemia. This is a different cutoff
than was used to classify severe anaemia in the nutrition chapter (7g/dl).
Sample: Children age 6-59 months
Information on the prevalence of anaemia among children age 6-59 months is presented in Chapter 11 on
nutrition. Children are classified as anaemic if their haemoglobin level is below 11.0 g/dl or as severely
anaemic if their haemoglobin level is below 7.0 g/dl. However, poor dietary intake of iron is one of
numerous causes of anaemia, along with malarial infection. Although anaemia is not specific to malaria,
trends in anaemia prevalence can reflect malaria morbidity, and respond to changes in the coverage of
malaria interventions (Korenromp 2004). Six percent of children in Malawi have haemoglobin less than
8g/dl (Table 12.14).
Malaria • 189