Objective:This study aimed to determine the Prevalence and Risk Factors for Placental Malaria and its associated effects on Pregnancy Outcome among Pregnant Women in Mawenzi Regional Referral Hospital in Kilimanjaro Region.

Methodology:This was a hospital based cross-sectional study. We derived our study sample from previous survey of 700 pregnant women who attended labor ward at MRRH between 2018-2019 in which we obtained study subjects by random sampling. The study included 350 subjects. We extracted data from the dataset using data extraction sheet and was analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 24. Chi–square was performed and we accepted an error of 5% level P<0.05 was the cut off for statistical significance.

Results:The prevalence of PM was 7.1% among the pregnant women in the study area. Primigravida had more cases of PM (11%) as compared to multigravida (2.7%). Pregnant women who had gestation age below 37 weeks attributed more cases of PM (9.6%) as compared to 6.7% of PM infections in pregnant women at gestation age of 37 weeks and above. Low birth-weight was estimated at 32% of all subjects who were identified with PM as compared to 6.2% of subjects without placental malaria and their difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Gestational age of less than 37 weeks was associated with LBW with proportion of 21% among women with PM and it has strong statistical significance of P (<0.001). The use of bed nets was associated with PM among the non-user at 28% P (<0.001).

Conclusion: PM is still a major public health problem in low malaria endemic areas and the groups at risk are women who are Primigravida, women not using bed nets and women who gives birth at gestation age of <37 weeks. We recommend more studies on PM in low endemic.