COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT ON GIEMSA STAINED (MICROSCOPY) AND RAPID DIAGNOSTIC TEST KITS TO DETECT MALARIA PARASITE AMONG PATIENTS (STUDENTS), ATTENDING MEDICAL CENTER UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE.
Abstract
Malaria remains a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria, where it contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. This study compared the diagnostic performance of Giemsa-stained microscopy and rapid diagnostic test kits (RDTKs) among patients attending the University of Maiduguri Medical Center, Borno State. A total of 50 blood samples were analyzed using both diagnostic methods. Microscopy detected 74% positive cases, while RDTKs detected 20%. The findings revealed that microscopy demonstrated superior sensitivity (27.03%) compared to RDTKs, which showed 100% specificity. These results suggest that while RDTKs are useful for rapid screening, microscopy remains the gold standard for malaria diagnosis, especially in endemic regions. The study highlights the need for an integrated diagnostic approach combining RDTKs for quick screening with microscopy for confirmatory testing. These findings are consistent with recent research (Adebusuyi et al., 2024; Tamir et al., 2025; WHO, 2025) emphasizing the continued relevance of microscopy in malaria control efforts.
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