Prognostic Factors for Severe Malaria in Children

Malaria is a red blood cell disorder caused by a parasite of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted by the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. This disease remains a public health problem because, after more than 50 years of international efforts to combat it, it is still the world's leading tropical endemic disease. Severe malaria is a medical emergency requiring early and rigorous treatment to eliminate the parasite and manage complications. In Senegal, malaria-which is transmitted most frequently during the rainy season from June to October-is a public health priority. In 2007, it was one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among infants and children in Senegal. We conducted a study at the Albert Royer National Children's Hospital in Fann, a leading pediatric facility in Dakar, Senegal, to determine the distribution of various criteria for the severity of malaria in children in Dakar, as defined by the WHO in 2000, and to identify the various risk factors for death associated with severe malaria in children in Dakar.