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Published:
Dec 31, 2016DOI:
10.4314/sljbr.v8i2.4Keywords:
Indoor Residual Spray Households Knowledge Attitudes Practices Hospital visits
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Malaria Prevalence: Influence of Communal Knowledge and Practices Post IRS Intervention in Epe, Southwest, Nigeria
Abstract
Malaria still remains a major public health in Nigeria despite interventions that are in place. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the local community’s Knowledge Attitudes and Practices (KAP) and the impact of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) exercise in Epe community.
Malaria rapid testing was used to determine the prevalence of malaria from a total of 252 participants. Structured questionnaires were administered to 252 randomly selected households to obtain information on malaria related KAP. Hospital data relating to malaria outpatient/inpatient visits were perused from the community health facilities.
The overall prevalence of malaria was 36.11%. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of malaria between participants with appropriate information about malaria and participants without appropriate information (p<0.05). The frequency of hospital visits due to malaria between the pre-IRS and post IRS periods was insignificant (p>0.05). The proportion (53.98%) of the households whom their houses were not sprayed may contribute to the mild impact of IRS observed.
The persistence of malaria among participants with low KAP and the households who are not beneficiary of the concluded IRS exercise cannot be over-emphasized. The need for intensification of malaria awareness programmes, surveillance and proper allocation of interventions are advocated.
Malaria rapid testing was used to determine the prevalence of malaria from a total of 252 participants. Structured questionnaires were administered to 252 randomly selected households to obtain information on malaria related KAP. Hospital data relating to malaria outpatient/inpatient visits were perused from the community health facilities.
The overall prevalence of malaria was 36.11%. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of malaria between participants with appropriate information about malaria and participants without appropriate information (p<0.05). The frequency of hospital visits due to malaria between the pre-IRS and post IRS periods was insignificant (p>0.05). The proportion (53.98%) of the households whom their houses were not sprayed may contribute to the mild impact of IRS observed.
The persistence of malaria among participants with low KAP and the households who are not beneficiary of the concluded IRS exercise cannot be over-emphasized. The need for intensification of malaria awareness programmes, surveillance and proper allocation of interventions are advocated.
