A cross-sectiona l, community based study of malaria wasrncondu c t ed from September-December 1993 , in an un stab l e ma lariarnendemi c area in Eastern Shoa , Ethiopia, to determine the prevalencernand document the c l inical features and treatment responses inrnpregnant and non pregnant women.rnA total of 1,767 women were studied. Ninety (11.3%) pregnantrnand 63{6.6%) non pregnant women were found to have malariarnparasitemi a (P=O.OOl). The rate in primigravidae was hi gher than inrnmultigravidae, 212(12.24%) and 31 4{11 .4%) respectively, though therndifference was not sta ti stical ly s igni ficant.rnOvera ll Plasmodial prevalence showed 49.7% Plasmodium v i vaxrnand 50.3% Plasmodium falciparum. Mean gestat ional age o f thernpregnant women was 21.09Â± 10.2 weeks wi th Peak malari a parasitemiarnaround mid- pregnancy. Maj ority of cases were symptomatic duringrndiagnosis and symptoms were not different between pregnant and nonrnpregnant.rnConjun ct i va l pallor was more documented in pregnant than inrnnon pregnant (OR = 3.04, 95% CI.1.47,6 . 33). Mean haematocrit inrnthe pregnant was 30.3Â± 4.6% a nd 33.4Â± 6.8% in the non pregnant (P=rn0.000 1) . Primigravidae showed lower haematocrit va lues a nd higherrnmean parasite counts when compared to multigravidae (P =0.03 andrn0.06 respectively). Mean asexual malaria parasite count was 6, 561Â±rn5,259/micro litter of blood and 4,598Â± 4,275/micro litter of b l oodrnin pregnant and non pregnant respectively (P= 0.01).rnixrnClinical responses in both groups were not signi f icantlyrndifferent. Findings are discussed and recommendations madernregarding future studies.