Insecticide-treated bed net access and use among preschool children in Nouna District, Burkina Faso.

Ali Sié,Alphonse Zakane,Catherine E Oldenburg,Cheik Bagagnan,Elodie Lebas,Jessica Brogdon,Mamadou Bountogo,Mamadou Ouattara,Pascal Zabre,Thomas M Lietman,Till Bärnighausen,William W Godwin,Ying Lin

doi:10.1093/inthealth/ihaa003

Abstract

BackgroundWe evaluated universal insecticide-treated bed net access and use in children <5 y of age in a rural area of Burkina Faso.MethodsA door-to-door enumerative census was conducted in Nouna District, Burkina Faso in December 2018 through April 2019. The most recent mass bed net distribution campaign occurred in June 2016. Heads of households were interviewed about household bed net ownership and use by children <5 y of age. We evaluated the relationship between demographic and socio-economic factors and household universal bed net access and use by children.ResultsIn 23 610 households with at least one child <5 y of age, 71 329 bed nets were reported (94.5% insecticide-treated). One-third (35.2%) of households had universal access and two-thirds (67.0%) of children slept under an insecticide-treated net the previous night. Children in households with universal access more often slept under a net the previous night (adjusted odds ratio 4.81 [95% confidence interval 4.39–5.26]).ConclusionsBed net coverage was substantially less than the 80% World Health Organization target for universal coverage in Nouna District. Insecticide-treated nets were used preferentially for children, but important gaps remain in consistent bed net use in this population. Structural and behavioural interventions are needed to close these gaps.

Highlights

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) have been shown to reduce child mortality and Plasmodium falciparum infection compared with no bed net use or use of untreated nets.[1]
We demonstrate that universal bed net access was suboptimal in a large portion of Nouna District, Burkina Faso approximately 2.5 y after the last mass bed net distribution
The study was conducted during the low transmission season, this could lead to increased vulnerability to malaria during the high transmission season in the absence of a new bed net campaign or alternative distribution mechanism

Summary

Introduction

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) have been shown to reduce child mortality and Plasmodium falciparum infection compared with no bed net use or use of untreated nets.[1] The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that mass bed net distribution campaigns distribute one net for every two persons in a household, with distribution repeated every 3 y and continuous distribution via antenatal care and the expanded programme on immunization (EPI).[2] The first national insecticide-treated bed net campaign in Burkina Faso took place in 2010.3,4 This campaign led to most households reporting owning at least one bed net and >50% of households reporting that they owned at least one net for every two people.[4]. We evaluated universal insecticide-treated bed net access and use in children

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion