Abstract
In Sub-Saharan Africa, bed nets are mainly aimed at the prevention of the nuisance of mosquito biting rather than against malaria. The species that are involved in malaria infection are all present in Somalia with the leading one being Plasmodium falciparum that causes about 98% of all infections in the country. This alarming spread of malaria underscores the need to develop interventions that can effectively curb the malaria menace. This study sought to examine the implications of the utilization of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) for malaria control and prevention. The population constituted 1,100 pregnant women attending MCH clinics and the two thousand two hundred heads of households, totalling three thousand three hundred. A simple random sampling technique was used to obtain a representative sample of households. In surveying 110 pregnant women attending Maternal Child Health (MCH) clinics and 220 heads of households in the Belet Hawo district in Somalia in 2019, the study found that the majority of households knew the effect of LLINs on preventing malaria. They were also knowledgeable about how to control malaria while facing limited access to LLINs. Furthermore, LLIN usage helped households to raise awareness and knowledge about the effect of LLINs on preventing malaria. This study provided the Somalian government with a better understanding of the causes, control, and prevention of malaria.
Highlights
Malaria is a life-threatening disease that is transmitted through an anopheles mosquito that carries the plasmodium parasite (Anandet al., 2018)
Respondents agreed that “People are knowledgeable about malaria disease with the mean” of 4.32, “Women delay in seeking for health services” with the mean of 4.29, and “Limited financial capacity causes a lack of malaria prevention” with the mean of 4.28
This study evaluated the ownership of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) at a household level, their appropriate use by the household members, and the knowledge and awareness of the role of LLINs in malaria prevention in the Belet Hawo district of Gedo region, Somalia
Summary
Malaria is a life-threatening disease that is transmitted through an anopheles mosquito that carries the plasmodium parasite (Anandet al., 2018). Malaria has been ranked as a world health major catastrophe as the parasites that transmit the disease are found in almost half of the world’s habitat. In semi-arid and highland regions of Africa, malaria is an epidemic and causes deaths annually (Blanford et al, 2013). In sub-Saharan Africa, are caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria presents a major socio-economic challenge to African countries thatare the most affected region in the world. This challenge cannot go unnoticed given that good health is a basic human need and a prerequisite for economic growth (WHO, 2018). Malaria is known to affect the growth of children by causing abnormalities like intellectual development capability which lowers the productivity of an individual in the workplace (Greenwood et al, 1991)
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