From: Ali Abare, Gombe
Medical laboratory scientists at the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology in Bayero University, Kano (BUK) have conducted a research which showed that “there is high malaria prevalence among the studied population of healthy blood donors” in the country.
Hauwa Sani Dauda and Yusuf Mohammed disclosed this as part of their presentation during the first annual scientific conference of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) holding in Gombe State from May 8-12.
The researchers, worried by the non-compliance with recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) that all donated blood should be tested for malaria, sought to determine the prevalence of malaria parasite by blood transfusion among blood donors.
They argued that transfusion associated malaria is a potentially serious complication that “continues to pose risks in blood bank setting,” stressing that “there is need for effective malaria screening of blood donations to improve the current exclusion and on blood donors during transfusion.”
In their paper titled: “Prevalence of Malaria Parasites in Healthy Blood Donors at General Hospital, Hadejia, Jigawa State”, the scientists disclosed that blood samples from 400 (398 males, 2 females) apparently, healthy donors were tested.
“High positivity rate was found among blood donors with blood group O positive (48.1%), majority were farmers and from age group 18-25 years with the highest prevalence rate of 46.2% and 39.3% respectively.”
They concluded, “There is high malaria prevalence among the studied population of healthy blood donors.”
The AMLSN maiden annual scientific conference has the theme: “Molecular Diagnosis and Personalized Medicine” with Prof. Oluyemi Akinloye of the department of Medical Lab. Science of the University of Lagos as keynote speaker.