Janbaz Afridi, Jaffar Khan, Noorul Iman.
Effect of power outages on the surge of malaria.
J Med Sci Jan ;18(2):104-6.

Objectives: To determine the effect of power outages on the surge of malaria by comparing slide positivity proportion for malarial parasites at Matani (power outages 12-18 hours) and urban Peshawar (power outages for 6-10 hours). Material and Methods: It was a retrospective study involving examination of thick and thin smears for malarial parasite in patients with suspected malaria during the period between February 2007 and December 2008. Data obtained from EDO (Health) office, Peshawar was also used. The data was analyzed using simple mathematical calculations. Results: A total of 53521 slides were examined, of which 2057 (3.9%) slides were positive for malarial parasites. Highest incidence was found in the period between May and August (3.9% overall, 3.8% in urban Peshawar and 4.5% in the rural area of Matani). The surge in malaria in rural Matani with longer periods of power outages (4.5%) was significantly higher when compared to urban Peshawar (3.8%). Conclusion: There is an increase in the number of malaria patients in the hot summer with a higher surge in areas affected by longer periods of power outages.

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