Malaria and Soil-Transmitted Helminth Co-Infection among School-Aged Children in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Malaria, caused by Plasmodium falciparum, and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), caused by Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and Ancylostoma duodenale, are highly prevalent parasitic infections of public health significance in Nigeria. Coinfection with these parasites of such co-infections is crucial for designing effective public health strategies. This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of malaria and soil-transmitted helminth co-infections among primary school children in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area (LGA), Akwa Ibom State. Between May and July 2024, finger-prick blood and stool samples were randomly collected from 348 children aged 4–15 years across four primary schools. Malaria parasites were identified using thin-film microscopy of air-dried blood smears, while stool samples were analysed for STH ova using the formalin-ether concentration technique. The prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum was 21.5%, while the prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and Ancylostoma duodenale was 9.5%, 5.7%, and 2.6%, respectively. The overall co-infection rate of malaria and STHs was 7.8%, with significant associations between these infections (p < 0.05). Malaria prevalence was slightly higher in males (21.8%) compared to females (21.3%), whereas STH infections were more common in females (19.6%) than in males (15.8%), these were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Age-specific prevalence, showed that children aged 14 years and older had the highest malaria prevalence (29.4%), while those aged 9–13 years had the highest prevalence of STH infections (19.4%). This study highlights the considerable burden of malaria and STH infections among primary school children in Mkpat Enin LGA, with variations in prevalence influenced by age and sex. This findings underscore the need target public health interventions that address parasitic infections, considering demographic factors that influence their distribution.