SOURCE:

Faculty: Biosences
Department: Parasitology And Entomology

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ogolo, B. A.
Nwaorgu, O. C.

ABSTRACT:

Children below five years of age infected with malaria parasite often present symptoms of fever, loss of appetite and malnutrition and may die due to their inability to build up competent immune system. A longitudinal study to investigate the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf powder on the nutritional status and malaria reinfection in children 4-5 years in Oba community was carried out from May 2015 to May 2016. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ethical committee of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi. Five hundred children (217 males and 283 females); 4-5 years old, were randomly selected by balloting from 10 out of 30 nursery schools in the community. The children were subdivided into two experimental groups A and B. Group A children were fed with jollof rice and National Agency for Foods Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) approved Moringa oleifera leaf powder, while Group B children were fed with jollof rice only, as a daily lunch pack for six months. The nutritional status of the children, malaria prevalence and haematological profiles, packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell count (Wbc), platelets, protein and iron were obtained at baseline and monitored at bimonthly intervals following feeding for six months. Nutritional status were assessed using anthropometry, malaria prevalence data were obtained using microscopy while haematological profiles were obtained using standard laboratory procedures. Children positive to malaria infection at baseline, 71(14.2%) were treated with Artemether/lumefantrine (Coartem) and reintegrated into the groups. None of the children fed with jollof rice and Moringa oleifera leaf powder was reinfected with malaria parasites within the study period. A malaria reinfection prevalence of 46 (18.4%) with a parasite intensity of 3% were recorded among the children fed with jollof rice only after two months following feeding, none was recorded in the fourth month, but at the sixth month a significant prevalence of 36 (14.4%) and a parasite intensity of 2 % were recorded among the group (P<0.05; χ2 38.793). Plasmodium falciparum was the only malaria parasite species observed. Anthropometric indices increased significantly on the children fed on jollof rice with Moringa oleifera leaf powder with mean values of 21.14kg + 2.62, 116.94cm + 5.80 and 16.59cm + 1.43 for weight, height and mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) respectively (p<0.05). There was also a significant increase in the haematological parameters with mean values of 32%, + 0.02, 10.78g/dl + 0.70, 6.17cell/mcl + 0.87, 286.83/mcl +78.20, 73.45g/l + 8.00 and 77.3µ/dl + 16.3 for packed cell volume, haemoglobin, white blood cell count, platelets, protein and iron respectively among the children fed with jollof rice and Moringa oleifera leaf powder as opposed to those fed with jollof rice only. Moringa oleifera leaf powder significantly reduced the frequency of malaria reinfection, improved nutritional status and haematological profiles of the children. It is recommended that Moringa oleifera leaf powder be included in the school feeding programme as part of nutritional intervention for improvement of nutritional status of children less than five years old for reducing the global burden of malaria disease in the age group.