Malaria Control with Bed Nets; Assessment of Corelates of its Effectiveness for Pregnant Women in Kwaebibirem

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate correlates of the effectiveness of Insecticide-treated Bed Nets (ITNs) for prevention of malaria through pregnancy till delivery.Methodology: The hospital-based cross sectional study enrolled 413 Antenatal Care (ANC) attendants at the maternity ward of the Kade government hospital. Differential patterns of use of ITNs among women who had malaria during pregnancy and women who did not have malaria during pregnancy were compared across various variables. Self-reported information by participants were objectively validated from maternal health record books, patient folders and other relevant maternal health registers.Results: ITNs are an important malaria prevention and control intervention among pregnant women who report using them during pregnancy. The period prevalence of malaria through pregnancy however remained high among adolescents irrespective of ITNuse while tertiary educational background and exposure to Intermittent Preventive Therapy with Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) reduced risk of malaria in pregnancy irrespective of ITN use.Conclusion: Malaria morbidity was generally higher among pregnant women who did not use bed nets during pregnancy despite variations by maternal age, area of residence, gestational age, occupation type, marital status, parity, maternal educational background and IPTp-SP status.Recommendations: Strategies aimed to reduce the period prevalence of malaria during pregnancy should be intensified particularly targeting adolescents. Barriers to sustained universal access to ITNs and IPTp-SP should be eliminated while policies aimed toincrease formal education should be prioritized.