Awareness and use of insecticide treated bednets (itns) by mother of under-fives in akuku–uno community

Abstract

Malaria is endemic in Nigeria and it has a close relationship with poverty. Poverty influences the risk of having malaria. Malaria in children of under-five cannot be controlled when there is lack or poor compliance with various preventive strategies including awareness and use of insecticide treated nets (ITN). The target set when “Roll Back Malaria” (RBM) was launched in 2000, was that about 60% of children younger than 5 years and mothers in Nigeria should have been sleeping under the insecticide treated nets by 2015.
 Objectives: This study examined the awareness and use of ITN by mothers of under-five and also identified factors that are associated with use/non-use by mothers of under-five in Akuku-Uno Community of Delta State with a view of assessing levels of attainment of the Abuja Targets for malaria prevention.
 Methodology: This study were carried out in four (4) quarters namely: Ugulu, Umuaja, Umutu and Obeiti of Akuku-Uno Community. It employed descriptive survey design using simple random sampling technique and was conducted among 350 mothers of under- five who gave their consent within the period of 4 weeks study. Data was collected using self structured questionnaire using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient with a value of 0.74 at 0.05 level of significance. Analyses were done using SPSS Version 16.
 Results: Majority of respondents (96.3%) were aware of ITN. A good number of respondents (87.1%) possess ITN and (96.7%) claim they have the ITN from health centres . The night before the survey,59.7% of respondents slept under ITN while the reasons for non-compliance include don’t have good one 32%, not long 26% and adverse reaction is 42%. Respondents that claimed to have seen ITN was 96% . Those that have good knowledge with regards to malaria were 46% compared to respondents (54%) that have poor knowledge of malaria. Respondents that uses only one method to prevent malaria were 52% . A good number of respondents (91.5%) used ITN. Respondents (40%) mentioned high temperature as symptom of malaria. For challenges faced by respondent in using ITN, 71.4% of mothers faced no challenges and 87.8% of respondents claim to use ITN for protection.
 Conclusion: This study showed that many of the mothers and under -five in this malaria endemic area (96.3%) are aware of ITN and 59.7% of them actually slept under the ITN the night before survey. The net must be readily made available to encourage mothers of under- five to use them. Negative perceptions such as rumor of death which was about 9% leading to non compliance should be corrected and mothers be encouraged to use the ITN.