Shanix J., 4

Shanix is the youngest of four children. She lives with her parents and siblings in a small, single-room mud-walled house, which they rent for KSh 500 per month. Her mother is unemployed, making her father the family's sole provider. He works as an unskilled laborer at construction sites, though at the moment, he has been unable to find any work. According to her mother, one Saturday afternoon after returning from church, Shanix went out to play with the neighbor’s children, as she normally does. However, not long after, she returned home saying she felt tired and wanted to sleep—something unusual for her, as she typically plays outside until evening and has to be called indoors. Later that night, while she was sleeping, Shanix suddenly began to convulse. Alarmed, her mother quickly carried her to a neighbor’s house. Despite calling her name and gently trying to rouse her, Shanix remained unresponsive. A concerned neighbor flagged down a passing motorbike, which transported them urgently to Siaya County Referral Hospital.

Shanix was brought to the hospital while convulsing.She was stabilised and her lab results came back positive for severe malaria. She was immediately admitted to the ward. In the ward she was treated with Iv Artesunate, paracetamol among other drugs. She responded well the medication and she was eventually discharged on orals . A visit to the home revealed shanix had fully recovered and had gone back to her normal life

Severe malaria, including cases with febrile convulsions (also known as febrile seizures), carries a serious prognosis with potential for high mortality and long-term neurological complications, especially in children. While most febrile seizures are benign and self-limiting, seizures associated with cerebral malaria (a severe form of malaria) can lead to significant neurological damage and even death. Prompt and aggressive treatment is crucial for improving the prognosis in both scenario