Community Based Distributors and Increased Ownership of the Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets in Rural Area of Jos Plateau State

Abstract

Background: The risk of malaria infection depends on the risk of being bitten by an infected mosquito, which itself depends on levels of transmission and exposure. The risk of infection leading to severe malaria disease depends on a person's immune status and access to treatment. Long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) have been one of the main strategies for malaria transmission reduction. LLIns are low cost and highly effective way of reducing the incidence of malaria in people who sleep under them. By preventing malaria, LLINs reduces the need for treatment and the pressure on health services. This study set out to assess the effectiveness of community based distribution in increasing ownership of LLIN in the community. Methods: it was an interventional study with a study and control group using pregnant women in Dorowa Babuje as the study group and pregnant women in Vwang as the control group, baseline data was generated using an interviewer administered questionnaire in both the study and the control group. In the study group, the women were allowed to select among them those that served as community based distributors (CBDs) who were pregnant women themselves that could read and write and understood English, Hausa and the native language Birom. Subsequently, the women were sensitized about malaria, the importance of LLINs as a means of preventing malaria and how to care for the nets. The CBD then distributed the nets to the women while in the control group, after generating the data, the women were sensitized just like the study group and informed on the possible places they could obtain the LLINs but the LLIns were not distributed them. After a period of four months, using the same interviewer administered questionnaire, data was generated in both the study and the control group to compare the pre and the post intervention result and at the end of the study period, free LLINs were then distributed to the control group. Result: Education was seen to have a statistical significant influence in the ownership of the LLINs at pre-intervention in both the study and the control groups. Ownership of LLINs increased statistically significantly in the study group from 9.8% to 97.6% (P<0.0001) at post-intervention. In the control group, there was no statistically significant difference in the level of ownership of LLIN at the end of the study period (P=0.389). The ownership of the LLINs was increased 89.8% (AF=89.8%) due to the community based distributors that shared the LLINs to the pregnant women in the community. Conclusion: The distribution of the LLIN at the community level with the involvement of the community people has lead to the significant increase in the ownership of LLIN.