Background: Diagnosing Plasmodium falciparum malaria during pregnancy is a great challenge for clinicians because of the low density of parasites in the peripheral blood. However, since parasite is sequestered in the placenta, placenta blood might be a better sample for parasite detection. Aim: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of rapid diagnostic test detecting HRP-2 in peripheral blood and placental blood using placental histology as control in diagnosis of malaria in pregnancy among women in Delta State. Research Methods: This was a two-centre comparative cross sectional study conducted at the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, and Central Hospital, Warri located in Delta State. Participating women who presented to the labour ward of both hospitals had peripheral venous blood, placental blood samples and placental tissue obtained following delivery. The blood samples obtained were tested for malaria parasites using rapid diagnostic test detecting histidine rich protein 2 in blood. Placenta histology served as control.