Abstract
Recognition of the symptoms and seeking prompt treatment in a health facility is a major means of reducing morbidity and prevention of mortality from severe malaria in under-fives. To document the effect of health-seeking behaviour of caregivers and severe malaria outcome in underfives seen in a tertiary health institution in Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study carried out from July 2012 - June 2013. Data were obtained using a researcher-administered questionnaire. Caregivers and children (6 - 59 months) who presented with features of severe malaria according to World Health Organization criteria. Of the 120 caregivers mean [SD] age (31.4 [7.0] years) /child pairs (24 [14.7] months), 35 (29%) caregivers had appropriate health-seeking behaviour. The commonest place visited for initial healthcare before presentation was the patent medicine vendors by 87 (73%) caregivers. Seventy-seven per cent of caregivers who did not have appropriate health-seeking behaviour were from the lower family social class (p = 0.03). Caregivers whose children presented with severe anaemia were significantly more likely to have appropriate health-seeking behaviour (p =0.00). The mortality rate of severe malaria was 15 per 1000; of which 94% were children whose caregivers did not have appropriate health-seeking behaviour. Age younger than 2 years (p = 0.02), cerebral malaria (p = 0.01) and jaundice (p = 0.03) significantly predicted mortality in the children irrespective of the caregivers' health-seeking behaviour status. Less than a third of the caregivers had appropriate health-seeking behaviour for their under-fives with severe malaria, and the majority of these were from the lower family social class. Cerebral malaria and jaundice significantly predicted mortality in children with severe malaria irrespective of caregivers' health-seeking behaviour status. The study was self-sponsored by the authors.
Highlights
Severe malaria contributes significantly to paediatric emergency room admissions in sub-Saharan Africa.[1]
Recent hospital-based study in Benin City Nigeria showed that the prevalence rate of severe malaria is 38.3% with a mortality rate of 60 per 1000.8 In Nigeria, the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) has instituted some strategic plans to educate caregivers through a comprehensive malaria control programme from the Federal to the communities at the Local Government level.[10]
University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) is a 750 bedded tertiary health facility that serves the people of Edo State and neighbouring states of Delta in the south-south; Ondo, Kogi and some parts of Anambra States in the southeast region
Summary
Severe malaria contributes significantly to paediatric emergency room admissions in sub-Saharan Africa.[1]. A drastic reduction in the prevalence of severe malaria is expected to occur following implementation of these control/ interventional programmes The actual outcome of this control strategy, may largely depend on health-seeking behaviour of the primary caregivers of these children
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
