Papua New Guinea Journal of Science, Technology & Engineering

Ian Garbett, Jacob Kapo, Philip Kond, James Aua Lipu, Minat Lamowa, Thomas Tromba.

Tinsley District Hospital, PO Box 1027, Mount Hagen 281, Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea Chi-Chi Obuaya, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London

Abstract

To assess the level of endemicity of malaria through estimation of the spleen rate and average enlarged spleen size (AES) in children in a rural community of Papua New Guinean Highlanders. 95 children aged between 2 to10 in the Ruti Valley of the Western Highlands Provincewere examined. The spleen rate was 92% with an AES of 2.36. The paper suggests that malaria is holo-endemic in Ruti Valley and highlights the urgent need for interventions such as bed nets and insecticide spraying in rural Papua New Guinea as well as improved access to medical services.