Knowledge and practice of the community towards malaria and its treatment

• Autores: Lemma Habtamu Gemechu, Seelam Ramya Krishna, Eliyas Kadi Abafita
• Localización: European journal of clinical pharmacy: atención farmacéutica, ISSN 2385-409X, Vol. 17, Nº. 5, 2015, pág. 13
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Malaria remains a major public health and development challenge. In order to prevent malaria, knowing of the level of community awareness towards malaria prevention as well as community practice towards treatment seeking behaviour is important.The objective of the study was to assess and identify the level of community awareness towards malaria, their practice of treatment seeking behaviour and its relation to preventive measure. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge and practice pertaining to common symptoms etiology, ways of transmission, treatment seeking behaviour and preventive measure of malaria. Data was collected from a sample size of 355 households with response rate 98.3% using structured questionnaires from January 24, 2014 to February 07, 2014. All respondents had heard malaria. Most of the respondents (85.63%) attributed the cause of malaria tomosquito bite. However, some of the respondents (13.78%) exposure to cold weather; hunger,chewing maize stalk and eating ripen fruits as the causes of malaria.

    Chi-square analysis revealed a strong association between the educational status of respondents and the cause of malaria (X2= 232; df= 15; p< 􀀟0.05). Sleeping under bed nets (84.4%) and elimination of breeding site (72.16%) were the most frequently mentioned malaria preventive measures perceived and practiced bed nets 63.75% and elimination of breeding site 54.36% by the respondents. Out of 43 who got malaria No.= 33 (76.75%) of them were consulted health institution (both public and private) within 24 hr. while some of them No.= 5 (11.62%) were delayed for treatment. These study findings suggested that the majority of the study participants had good knowledge and practice towards malaria and also health seeking behaviour. However, still a sizable (15%) had misconception and 11.62% delayed for health seeking behaviour. Thus, appropriate health education should be implemented to correct misconceptions about the cause and transmission of malaria and seek health institution early after onset of malaria symptoms