Frequency Distribution of Malaria Cases Among Children Under Five at General Hospital Maiduguri, Borno State

Malaria continues to impose a disproportionate burden on children under five in North East Nigeria, where healthcare utilisation data are fragmented by conflict-related disruptions to health information systems. This study analyses the frequency distribution and statistical patterns of malaria cases among children under five at General Hospital Maiduguri, Borno State, over a three-year period from 2020 to 2022. Hospital admission records and outpatient case registers were reviewed, extracting age, sex, season of presentation, disease severity classification, and treatment outcomes. Frequency distributions, bar charts, and pie charts were constructed for categorical variables. Chi-square tests examined associations between categorical variables, and cross-tabulations explored relationships between age group, sex, and disease severity. A total of 3,847 malaria cases were recorded. Children aged 12 to 23 months constituted the most affected group (28 percent). Severe malaria accounted for 18.3 percent of cases. Malaria presentation was significantly higher during the rainy season from June to September (62 percent of annual caseload). Chi-square analysis confirmed a significant association between age group and severity classification (chi-square = 23.7, p < 0.001). Sex differences in case frequency were not statistically significant. Case fatality was 2.4 percent, highest in the severe malaria category. The study provides quantitative baseline data for malaria burden characterisation in Maiduguri and recommends strengthened under-five malaria prophylaxis programmes and seasonal surge preparedness at General Hospital. Keywords: malaria, frequency distribution, children under five, Maiduguri, Borno State