Abstract
BackgroundThere is little information on the social perception of malaria and the use of preventative measures in Gabon, especially in rural areas. Adequate knowledge of malaria prevention and control can help in reducing the burden of malaria among vulnerable groups, particularly pregnant women and children under 5 years old living in malaria-endemic settings. This study was designed to assess the prevalence of malaria and the knowledge and attitude towards this disease in households in Nyanga Province.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to assess malaria knowledge, prevention practices and prevalence of the malaria infection in five departments of Nyanga Province. Plasmodial infection was diagnosed in children ≤ 5 years of age and women aged 15-49 years using rapid diagnostic tests. A questionnaire was administered randomly to women aged 15–49 years and to the parents or guardians of children aged ≤ 5 years in 535 households during a 2-week period in March 2018. Overall, the respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of malaria, malaria prevention practices and malaria prevalence were evaluated and compared across the five departments.ResultsData from a total of 1,307 participants were included in this study, including 631 women of childbearing age (61 of them pregnant) and 676 children. Practically the entire (97.7%) interviewed population had heard about malaria and attributed the cause of malaria to a mosquito bite (95.7%). This survey revealed that the reported rate of reported bed-net use was 73.3%. The study observed an average malaria parasite prevalence of 13.9%. All departmental capitals of Nyanga Province had a significant level of malaria infection except for Mayumba where no plasmodial infection was found.ConclusionHigh malaria prevalence is found in the departmental capital cities of Nyanga Province. This study reveals that respondents have a high knowledge of the malaria symptoms, its mode of transmission and preventive measures. Despite this high level of knowledge of the disease and its preventive measures, the incidence of malaria remains relatively high in this rural community highlighting the need for other types of interventions.
Highlights
There is little information on the social perception of malaria and the use of preventative measures in Gabon, especially in rural areas
High malaria prevalence is found in the departmental capital cities of Nyanga Province
This study reveals that respondents have a high knowledge of the malaria symptoms, its mode of transmission and preventive
Summary
There is little information on the social perception of malaria and the use of preventative measures in Gabon, especially in rural areas. Adequate knowledge of malaria prevention and control can help in reducing the burden of malaria among vulnerable groups, pregnant women and children under 5 years old living in malaria-endemic settings. In 2019, malaria remained the deadliest parasitic disease for human beings. The same year, 405,000 malaria-related deaths were recorded. Children under 5 years old are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria; in 2017 they accounted for 61% (266,000) of all malaria deaths worldwide [1]. It is known that pregnant women are more susceptible to malaria than their non‐pregnant peers [2]. In areas where the intensity of transmission is moderate to high, leading to higher levels of acquired immunity, most falciparum malaria infections during pregnancy remain asymptomatic and are frequently undiagnosed and untreated [4]. A considerable proportion of people at risk of infection are not being protected, including pregnant women and children in Africa [1]
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