Abstract
Malaria is an endemic disease in Nigeria that is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children, especially those under the age of five years old. The home management of malaria has been shown to reduce the rate of morbidity and mortality linked to malaria. The objectives of this study were therefore to determine the knowledge on cause, signs and symptoms of malaria, health seeking behaviour of respondents, preventive measures and Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of home management of malaria among mothers in Babcock University for their children. This research was done between April and June, 2018 in Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State. A descriptive study with a cross sectional study design was used. The study population was 274 mothers. A structured questionnaire was used as the instrument for this study. This study revealed that 96.7% of the respondents knew about malaria as a disease. 72.6% of them attributed it to the vector, mosquito, while 4.7% attributed it to the malaria parasite, Plasmodium. The commonest recognisable clinical symptom of malaria was headache (75.5%) of the study population. None of the respondents took their children to the native doctor or to Church when symptoms of malaria arose. Rather, they took them to the hospital (80.3%) or to the Pharmacy (11.3%). Regarding preventive measures, 76.6% of them made use of insecticides, which was the commonest preventive measure. In the modality of treatment, it is shown in this study that 69.0% of the mothers knew about Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT), which is the recommended treatment drug for malaria treatment by the World Health Organization (WHO). It was also the commonest treatment modality used (68.6%). The commonest ACT combination used was Coartem (Artemether/Lumefantrine) with 59.5% of the respondents patronizing it. The study also showed that mothers in Babcock University are well aware of the dangers of poor compliance (86.5%) and thus ensure that their children completed the drug dose. The mothers in Babcock University have good knowledge, attitude and awareness of home management practices of malaria for their children. These practices are effective in reducing malaria incidence, owing to the fact that majority of them are well educated, as proven by statistical analysis.
Highlights
InformationMalaria is a disease caused by Plasmodium species transmitted by an infected female anopheles mosquito [1] The known species of malaria parasites are: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae; but the deadliest and commonest form in Nigeria is Plasmodium falciparum
The respondent populations of this study were mothers found within the environs of Babcock University, ranging from those residing at the staff quarters to the lecturers to the non-academic staff at the supermarkets, kiosks, departments, cafeteria, hostels, and even to the patients at the hospital
In the treatment of malaria, this study reveals that a large percentage (69.0%) of mothers knew about Artemisinin Combination Therapy, which correlates with the 68.6% of them that used it to treat malaria for their children
Summary
InformationMalaria is a disease caused by Plasmodium species transmitted by an infected female anopheles mosquito [1] The known species of malaria parasites are: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae; but the deadliest and commonest form in Nigeria is Plasmodium falciparum. 216 million cases of malaria happened globally in the year 2016 of which the majority (90%) took place in Africa [2]. Nigeria accounted for the highest proportion of cases globally (27%) and it was estimated that of the 445,000 deaths caused by malaria, 407,000 happened in Africa [2]. Malaria disease is endemic in Nigeria [1]. It is a significant cause of death in children, especially those below five years old and prevalent in tropical areas [1]. In about 60% of outpatient care and 30% of hospitalisations, malaria was implicated, it is one of the significant causes of death in children below the age of five years [4]. In a study carried out in Owo, Ondo state from May to July 2008 it was revealed that home treatment of fever was prevalent in about 98.4% [5]
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