Objective: To determine the impact of urbanisation on the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria in Molyko, a rapidly urbanising area of South West Cameroon.
Design: A cross-sectional study.
Setting: Molyko, South West Province Cameroon.
Subjects: One hundred and sixty six and two hundred and forty four randomly selected children in Molyko in the rainy seasons of 2000 and 2004 respectively.
Main outcome measures: Prevalence and geometric mean parasite density of asymptomatic malaria, measurement of axillary temperatures and haematocrit (PCV) values in 2000 and 2004.
Results: There was a significant association between axillary temperature and malaria parasitaemia in both years (p<0.05). Overall, the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria and parasite density values in all age groups in 2004 were lower than in 2000 while the reverse was the case with PCV values.
Conclusion: Urbanisation in Molyko has likely reduced the level of malaria endemicity in the area. It is advisable to repeat this study over a period of time in order to assess the long-term effects of urbanisation in the study area.