The status of malaria parasitemia and assessment of the use of long lasting insecticide treated bed net among Umudike Community of Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the status of malaria parasitemia and assessment of the awareness and use of long lasting insecticide treated nets and malaria control among Umudike community of Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. Using thin film preparations, malaria parasites were detected and identified. Questionnaire andobservation were used to retrieve information from consenting  . Four hundred (400) blood samples were examined and the overall prevalence of malaria was 45 %. Females were more infected (47.50 %) than males (43.43 %), but there was no significant difference (p>0.05). Individuals within the age group of 10 – 19 years were most infected (48 %) than other age groups. Species of Plasmodium observed showed that P. falcipaprum was highest 148 (82.22 %) followed by P. vivax 24(13.33 %) and P. malaria was the least 8(4.44 %). There was no case of P. ovale infection. Students had the highest infection rate (48.67 %) followed by unemployed (45.00 %), farmers (43.33 %) and civil servants (40.00 %) that had the least. Majority of the respondents (79.45 %) associated malaria with mosquito bites and despite the high level (88.89 %) of awareness on the benefits of LLINs only few have (48.33 %) and sleep (20 %) under the net respectively. Reasons for not having and using LLINs include scarcity (45.21 %) and high cost (16.44 %) of the nets in area, despite the fact that the nets were meant to be distributed free of change. Malaria is acknowledged to be endemic and prevalence high in the study areas and despite the high awareness of LLINs also possession of the LLINs does not translate into usages, there is therefore urgent need for public health education by Government and relevant agencies on various preventive strategies especially free distribution and proper usage of LLINs, improved environmental sanitation and on proper treatment procedures of malaria in Umudike and its environs.

Keywords: Malaria, Awareness, Benefits, Long lasting insecticide treated net (LLIN)