Environmental Sanitation Practices and Malaria Burden: A Public Health Concern in Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Background : Malaria remains a significant public health concern in many regions of the world, including Mangu L. G. A of Plateau State, Nigeria, where poor waste disposal, blocked drainages, and stagnant water continue to sustain vector breeding. This study examined the relationship between environmental sanitation practices and malaria disease infection in Mangu L. G. A. Materials and Methods : A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used. Structured questionnaires were administered to 400 residents selected through stratified and random sampling, and were complemented by ten years (2013-2022) of secondary malaria case records obtained from five hospitals in the study area. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency, charts and tables) and inferential statistics (Spearman's rank correlation and chi-square analysis). Results : Awareness of environmental sanitation was notably high (98.0%), children under the age of five and pregnant women were the most vulnerable to malaria infection (81.0%), and malaria prevalence was most common between May and August (45.0%). Most residents cleaned their surroundings weekly (45.0%), and sanitary inspectors did not conduct routine inspections in 59.0% of cases. A correlation coefficient of 0.926 (p < 0.05) indicated a strong, positive, and statistically significant association between environmental sanitation practices and malaria infection at the 5% significance level. Conclusion : Environmental sanitation practices are strongly associated with malaria infection in Mangu L. G. A. Sanitary inspectors should adopt a fixed schedule for premises inspection, residents should regularly clear their surroundings and drainages to reduce mosquito breeding grounds, and government should enforce environmental sanitation by-laws and expand health education programmes, particularly among vulnerable groups.