The present study aimed to determine the prevalence rate of intestinal protozoan infection among children in Duhok Province, North of Iraq, from October 2022 to May 2023. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 740 children attending Hevi Pediatric Hospital, Duhok Province, Iraq. Firstly, all collected stool samples were examined directly by preparing a wet stool smear for the detection of the vegetative stage (Trophozoite) of both and lamblia. Thereafter, all stool samples were preserved at -22��C until further use for identifying cysts of protozoa and oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum by the Telmman concentration stool method. The children were within the age range of 1-14 years. Out of 740 stool samples collected, 205 (27.7%) cases were positive for intestinal protozoan infections as follows 160 (78.0%) children tested positive for , 35 (17.1%) were positive for , and only 10 (4.9%) were positive for . Nonetheless, the results indicated a statistically significant difference between the prevalence of , , and infections across different age groups (<0.05). The highest infection rates of intestinal protozoa, namely , , and , were reported in the age ranges of 5-9 years (53.75%, 25.0%, and 60.0%), 1-4 years (28.75%, 20.0%, and 30.0%), and 10-14 years (17.55%, 8.6%, and 10.0%), respectively. In this study, the prevalence of amoebiasis and cryptosporidiosis was reported to be higher than in other studies performed in Iraq, while the prevalence of giardiasis was reported at a lower rate than the rate reported previously in Iraq, especially in Duhok. These infections continue to pose a challenging public health issue, necessitating the implementation of stronger and more effective preventative measures.
