Awareness, accessibility and use of insecticide treated nets: a cross-sectional survey of ante-natal clinic attendees in a tertiary hospital in South-East Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The use of insecticide treated net (ITN) for protection against malarial vectors has remained a cost effective and highly effective tool in global and national malarial control policies. Despite this effort towards reducing the intolerable burden of malaria, the disease continues to be a major public health problem in Nigeria.
Objective: To determine the awareness, accessibility and use of ITN among women attending antenatal clinic (ANC) in a tertiary hospital in South-East Nigeria.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study of 400 women attending ANC in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Nnewi was done. Data was collected using pre-tested semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaires and analyzed using Epi-info version 3.5.1 software. Tests of statistical significance were carried out using chi square tests for proportions. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.
Result: The age range of the respondents was between 20 and 39 years. All the respondents were married. Out of the 400 women studied, 384 (96.0%) were aware that malaria is transmitted by the mosquito, 212 (64.6%) reported that their source of awareness of ITN was the hospital campaigns. A total of 312 (79.6%) of the respondents use ITN out of which 176 (56.4%), claimed to be using it on all nights. Educational status did not influence affordability (p 0.421)
Conclusion: The accessibility and the use of ITN by pregnant women attending ANC in NAUTH was relatively good. However, there is need for this to be sustained through continued health education on the role of ITN in malaria control.

Keywords: Affordability, ante-natal clinic, malaria, mosquito, NAUTH
Nnewi, pregnant women