A qualitative study on health workers' and community members' perceived sources, role of information and communication on malaria treatment, prevention and control in southeast Nigeria.

Virginia Wiseman,Nkoli Ezumah,Jane C Umeano-Enemuoh,Obinna Onwujekwe,Benjamim Uzochukwu,Lindsay Mangham-Jefferies

doi:10.1186/s12879-015-1187-2

Virginia Wiseman, Nkoli Ezumah + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-015-1187-2

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Abstract

BackgroundIt has been widely acknowledged that well-planned and executed communication programmes can contribute to achieving malaria prevention and treatment goals. This however requires a good understanding of current sources and roles of information used by both health workers and communities. The study aimed at determining health workers’ and community members’ sources, value and use of information on malaria prevention and treatment in Nigeria.MethodsQualitative data was collected from six selected communities (three urban and three rural) in Enugu state, southeast Nigeria. A total of 18 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 179 community members and 26 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with health workers in public and private health facilities were used to collect data on where people receive treatment for malaria and access information on malaria. The FGDS and IDIs also provided data on the values, uses and effects of information and communication on malaria treatment seeking and provision of services.ResultsThe findings revealed that the major sources of information on malaria for health workers and community members were advertisements in the mass media, workshops and seminars organized by donor agencies, facility supervision, posters, other health workers, television and radio adverts. Community involvement in the design and delivery of information on malaria control was seen as a strong strategy for improving both consumer and provider knowledge. Information from the different sources catalyzed appropriate provision and consumption of malaria treatment amongst health workers and community members.ConclusionHealth workers and consumers receive information on malaria prevention and treatment from multiple sources of communication and information, which they find useful. Harnessing these information sources to encourage consistent and accurate messages around malaria prevention and treatment is a necessary first step in the design and implementation of malaria communication and behaviour change interventions and ultimately for the sustained control of malaria.

Highlights

It has been widely acknowledged that well-planned and executed communication programmes can contribute to achieving malaria prevention and treatment goals
This paper provides new information on health worker and community perceptions of the importance, uses and roles of information and communication for improving malaria prevention and treatment in southeast, Nigeria
58 % of health workers were private medicine vendors and 42 % were from public health facilities and included nurses (8 %), nursing assistants (7 %), community health extension workers (CHEWs) (17 %) and other cadres (10 %)

Summary

Introduction

It has been widely acknowledged that well-planned and executed communication programmes can contribute to achieving malaria prevention and treatment goals. This requires a good understanding of current sources and roles of information used by both health workers and communities. Malaria is a major public health problem in many subSaharan African countries [1,2,3]. It mostly affects children under-five years of age, pregnant women and migrants/ visitors from non-malaria endemic regions [4]. The occurrence of malaria in some households causes significant economic burden which often leads to catastrophic health expenditures [8]

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