Integrating women in disease management: Case of malaria

Abstract

Malaria is still, despite the influx of new drugs in the market, the main killer of children below five years of age as well as presently adults. About one million deaths yearly in Africa, in children under five years, are attributed to malaria. Malaria is such a common disease in Nigeria that everybody claims to know how to manager it. The Nigeria market has many affordable drugs for the treatment of malaria and at the same time there is an increase in the use of herbs, or local concoctions said to be effective against malaria. Malaria treatment is gradually becoming more complicated as the parasites become more resistant to drugs available. Women have the unique role of taking care of others. Their responsibility and role as care givers in the respective families enables them to be first to recognize as well as be informed of the onset of any abnormality in the health of their children/ward. The steps, as well as decisions they take to restore the health conditions determine their survival. The long lasting success of any control programme on malaria would to a large extent depend on the individual decisions of women. There's thus need to understand this very important role of women, and integrate in control programmes for a longer lasting success.

The Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 24 2003: 53-58