STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ON THE REPORTED CASES OF MALARIA AND TYPHOID FEVER AFFECTING CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OLD (A CASE STUDY OF PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTRE KABALA WEST KADUNA, KADUNA STATE)

Malaria and typhoid fever remain major public health challenges, particularly among children under five years of age in developing countries like Nigeria. This study focuses on the statistical analysis of reported cases of malaria and typhoid fever at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Kabala West, Kaduna State. The aim is to examine the prevalence, trends, and possible relationship between the two diseases within the study population. A retrospective research design was adopted using secondary data obtained from hospital records. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and chi-square tests to determine the level of association between malaria and typhoid cases. Results from the study revealed that malaria cases were significantly higher than typhoid fever cases among children under five. Seasonal variation was observed, with malaria cases increasing during the rainy season, while typhoid cases remained relatively stable throughout the year. Furthermore, the analysis indicated a weak positive correlation between malaria and typhoid fever, suggesting that although both diseases occur within the same population, they are not strongly related statistically. The study concludes that malaria remains the dominant health issue among children under five in the study area, while typhoid fever also contributes to the disease burden. The study recommends improved malaria control strategies, better sanitation practices, public health education, and early diagnosis to reduce the incidence of both diseases.