Severe Malaria in Children in Rural African Settings

Idrissa Basse¹*, Aliou Abdoulaye Ndongo², Najah Fatou Coly³, Papetti Mewamba Zogning³, Serigne Lamine Badji⁵, Djibril Boiro², Lamine Thiam⁶, Ndiogou Seck⁷, Emmanuel Aganze Bashi¹ and Ndeye Ramatoulaye Diagne Gueye¹

¹Diamniadio Children's Hospital (Pediatrics Department), University of Thies, Senegal
²Abass Ndao Hospital Center (Pediatrics Department), University of Dakar, Senegal
³Diamniadio Children's Hospital (Biology Department), University of Thies, Senegal
⁴Saint John of God Hospital, University of Thies, Senegal
⁵Amath Dansokho Hospital Center of Kedougou, Senegal
⁶Ziguinchor Regional Hospital Center, University of Ziguinchor, Senegal
⁷Saint Louis Regional Hospital Center, University of Saint Louis, Senegal

*Corresponding Author: Idrissa Basse, Diamniadio Children's Hospital (Pediatrics Department), University of Thies, Senegal.

Received: December 16, 2025; Published: December 31, 2025

Abstract

Introduction: Severe malaria remains a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly affecting children. Healthcare facilities in rural African settings serve populations that are often very vulnerable and at high risk of malaria. Our objective was to study the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, and therapeutic aspects of severe malaria.

Methodology: This was a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study based on hospital records. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software.

Results: The prevalence of severe malaria was 4.06% among hospitalized pediatric patients, representing 58.1% of all pediatric malaria cases. Children aged 1 to 4 years (53.4%) and boys (59.9%) were the most affected. Fever (96.1%) and seizures (51.8%) dominated the clinical presentation, with repeated seizures being the main severity criterion (52.4%). Anemia (96.7%), often associated with thrombocytopenia (55%), was almost constant. Treatment with artesunate (100%) resulted in recovery in 97.1% of cases, with a mortality rate of 2.3%. Young age was significantly associated with poor outcomes.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of protocol-based management of severe pediatric malaria in rural African settings. However, the disease remains highly prevalent in these areas, with significant morbidity and mortality.

 Keywords: Severe Malaria; Children; Hospital; Rural Setting

References

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Citation

Citation: Idrissa Basse., et al. “Severe Malaria in Children in Rural African Settings”.Acta Scientific Paediatrics 9.1 (2026): 15-20.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Idrissa Basse., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.