RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MALARIA SEVERITY AND PARASITE DENSITY OF P. falciparum AGAINST DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS FROM ASYMPTOMATIC AND SYMPTOMATIC PATIENTS IN PAPUA INDONESIA

Background: Malaria represents a major public health problem in Papua Province. In the year 2001, it was found that approximately 15 million people contracted malaria in Indonesia including Papua Province and 30,000 deaths were reported. To reassess the estimation magnitude of malaria problem was conducted at West Koya and Skow villages, Jayapura and Abepura General Hospital in Jayapura Municipal. Objective: The aims of the study was to determination prevalence of falciparum malaria based on blood smear at primary community centers and Jayapura and Abepura general Hospital, and associated between malaria severity and parasite density of P. falciparum against demographic factors of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. Methods: A total of 152 isolates from patients, 51 Asymptomatic and 101 symptomatic patients, were analyzed by microscopic examination. The descriptive study with use cross sectional design and Pearson Chi-squared test. Result: The result of this study shown that based on screening of 415 patients in four locations revealed 152 positive patients with single infection of falciparum malaria. Based on place of higher sample shown that Koya (79.6%) and Jayapura General Hospital (79.1%). Examination of the parasite density among asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with moderate parasite density (43.2%) and (49.5%), respectively. Conclusion: The parasite density of P. falciparum was found at Koya village and Abepura general hospital higher than Skow and Jayapura general hospital with moderate parasite density. Basically, the research shown that there is not significant correlation between malaria severity and parasite density against demographic factors of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients except gender was found significant with asymptomatic patient