EFFECT OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS ON OCCURRENCE AND CO-OCCURRENCE OF PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM MALARIA AND ENDEMIC BURKITT’S LYMPHOMA AMONG CHILDREN IN WESTERN KENYA

Endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma (eBL) is the most common cancer that affects children in Africa. Co-infection of re-current Plasmodium falciparum (P.falciparum) Malaria with Epstein- Barr virus (EBV) is among risk factors of developing eBL. The study compared methods used to diagnose Plasmodium falciparum malaria, EBV, eBL and effect of socio-economic factors on occurrence and co-occurrence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and eBL among children in Vihiga and Kisumu sub-Counties. From each sub-County, the study assessed thirty homesteads using a questionnaire to collect data on socio-economic factors and ten health centers for the case-control study. Results obtained showed that methods used to diagnose Plasmodium falciparum malaria, EBV and eBL in Vihiga and Kisumu East sub-Counties were inadequate. Rapid diagnostic test and microscopy were the main laboratory methods used to diagnose P. falciparum in the study regions but were not available in all health centers used. EBV and eBL were mainly tested at KEMRI due to lack of facilities in the sub-Counties. P. falciparum malaria infection occurred more in children below five years old probably because of their low body immunity. Endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma was more in children aged five to nine years old more likely because of early age co-infection of EBV and re-current Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The diseases were more prevalent in male than female children in both Vihiga and Kisumu East sub-Counties. Age had a statistically significant impact on co-occurrence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and eBL where p-value = 0.004 for Vihiga sub-County and p-value = 0.048 for Kisumu East sub-County. Locations that had low occurrence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria also had low occurrence of eBL because the two diseases are correlated. Socio-economic factors influenced mosquito bites and they impacted only on occurrence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Vihiga sub-County. Chi—square, bar graphs and binary logistic regression were used to compare data variables where p ≤ 0.05 results were considered statistically significant. To prevent development of eBL, malaria prevention and control programmes should be intensified and evaluated more regularly in the regions and in Kenya as recommended by Moormann in 2011. Keywords: Diagnosis, Re-current falciparum malaria, Epstien-Barr virus, Activation of B cell lymphocytes, endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma, Demographic and socio-economic factors CITATION: Muzame, A. B., Ngeiywa, M., Makwali, J., Odada, P. S., \u0026 Mulama, D. (2020). Effect of demographic and socio-economic factors on occurrence and co-occurrence of Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria and Endemic Burkitt’s Lymphoma among children in Western Kenya. The Strategic Journal of Business \u0026 Change Management, 7 (4), 975 – 984.