Currently accepted at: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Nov 9, 2025
Date Accepted: Jul 1, 2026
This paper has been accepted and is currently in production.
It will appear shortly on 10.2196/87435
The final accepted version (not copyedited yet) is in this tab.
Asymptomatic Malaria Infection Among Pregnant Women Attending First Antenatal Care in Mulongo Health Zone, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive and Analytical Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Malaria during pregnancy, even when asymptomatic, represents a major challenge to maternal and child health. During pregnancy, malaria is widely recognized as a significant global health issue, posing substantial risks to the mother, the fetus, newborns, and the broader community
Objective:
This study was initiated to assess malaria prophylaxis standards among pregnant women at their first antenatal consultation (ANC), to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria, and to identify associated factors
Methods:
The study was conducted at the maternity ward of the Mulongo General Reference Hospital, a rural and river-lake health zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo, using data recorded in 2024. It was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study in line with the objectives. Information from 1520 pregnant women attending their first ANC was collected from registers and antenatal care records using a predesigned data collection form. Descriptive and analytical analyses were performed with SPSS version 23, calculating frequencies, means with standard deviations, odds ratios (OR), and chi-square tests.
Results:
A total of 76.6% of ANC visits were initiated late. Among the women, 86.6% underwent a malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT), with a positivity rate of 28.2%. Most participants (90.9%) received a long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLIN), and 80.1% received their first dose of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP1). However, SP1 was administered late in 94.9% of cases. The factors associated with asymptomatic malaria included younger maternal age (OR=3.47 [2.26–5.32] before 20 years; OR=1.51 [1.06–2.14] between 20–35 years) and primigravidity (OR=2.43 [1.77–3.33]).
Conclusions:
Asymptomatic malaria during pregnancy is common, and most women benefited from the recommended prophylaxis measures during their first ANC. However, the late initiation of ANC prevents women from timely receiving prophylactic interventions necessary for effective malaria prevention.
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