Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) still cause a major public health problem in developing countries. The most affected populations are those with low socioeconomic status, lack of latrines, inadequate water supply, and poor hygiene like in pastoralist community areas in Ethiopia. Therefore, the study assessed the trends of intestinal parasites among the patients attended at Yabelo General Hospital, Southern Ethiopia, from 2019 to 2021. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted on 6108 patients and recorded data from Yabelo General Hospital, which were extracted using a checklist. The complete data of sex, age, and laboratory stool examination result in the record book were included in the study. The data were double-entered using EpiData version 3 and exported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16 for analysis. The associated factors were analyzed using chi-square and a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results were presented in tables, pie charts, and graphs. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites among the patients who attended Yabelo General Hospital was 48%. Of these, 37.8% (2310) were intestinal protozoa, and 10.2% (624) were intestinal helminths. The study indicates that 59% of patients aged above 45 years were seen infected with intestinal parasites. Of the total suspected patients, 2% (123) were found to have mixed parasite infections. The most reported parasites were Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba Dispar 22.6%, Giardia lamblia 15.3%, and Ascaris lumbricoides 1.8%. The trend analysis of intestinal parasites revealed that the overall prevalence declined from 55% in 2019 to 42.3% in 2021. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of IPI was high among patients seen at Yabelo General Hospital. The analysis showed that the prevalence declined from 2019 to 2021. To sustain the decrease in prevalence, all intestinal parasite prevention measures should be continuously exercised in the area.