Research consultancy

Study Topic and Objectives
The study focused on malaria prevalence among children under five years old in Uganda. It was guided by three main objectives:

To compare malaria prevalence by residence (rural vs. urban) and region in Uganda.
To determine the distribution of malaria across Uganda.
To forecast malaria prevalence among children under five up to the year 2022.

Key Findings

Residence Comparison: Rural areas recorded significantly higher malaria cases, with a mean of 2,988.23 cases (SD = 457.718), compared to urban areas, which had a mean of 314.32 cases (SD = 142.437). This indicates a higher malaria burden in rural communities.
Regional Distribution: The Eastern region had the highest malaria cases (mean = 1,022.03, SD = 192.211), followed by the Northern region (mean = 902.48, SD = 158.922). The Western and Central regions reported means of 578.06 (SD = 184.080) and 787.23 (SD = 154.660), respectively.
Statistical Analysis: When malaria cases in the North, East, and West were zero, the baseline malaria prevalence was 604.537. A unit increase in cases in the Central region led to an average decrease of 0.366 cases in the North, though this effect was statistically insignificant (p-value = 0.082 > 0.05). Thus, the null hypothesis was accepted, indicating no significant difference in malaria prevalence across regions.

Conclusions

Malaria prevalence varies by region, with some areas experiencing higher cases than others.
Malaria cases are increasing over time.
Variations in total malaria cases are influenced by changes in both rural and urban areas.
Rural areas consistently report higher malaria rates than urban areas.

Recommendations

Malaria Control: Strengthen efforts to combat malaria to address its associated challenges.
Healthcare Workforce: The government should increase the number of health workers in public hospitals.