Abstract
BackgroundThe objective of this study is to explore and document perceptions and attitude associated with uptake of interventions to prevent malaria in pregnancy infection during pregnancy in Enugu State, Nigeria.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study in three local government areas in Enugu State to identify the people’s perceptions and attitudes towards sleeping under insecticide-treated bednets and uptake of recommended doses of intermittent presumptive treatment during pregnancy. In-depth interview guides were employed to collect data from health workers and mothers who delivered within 6 months preceding the study, while focus group discussion guides were employed in collecting data from grandmothers and fathers of children born within 6 months preceding the study.ResultsThe people expressed fairly good knowledge of malaria, having lived in the malaria-endemic communities. However, some were ignorant on what should be done to prevent malaria in pregnancy. Those who were aware of the use of insecticide-treated bednets and intermittent presumptive treatment during pregnancy however lamented the attitude of the health workers, who make access to these interventions difficult.ConclusionsEfforts to prevent malaria in pregnancy should focus on providing health education to pregnant women and their partners, who reinforce what the women are told during antenatal care. The attitude of health workers towards patients, who need these interventions, should be targeted for change.
Highlights
The objective of this study is to explore and document perceptions and attitude associated with uptake of interventions to prevent malaria in pregnancy infection during pregnancy in Enugu State, Nigeria
This paper explored and documented the perceptions and attitude associated with uptake of interventions to prevent malaria in pregnancy infection during pregnancy in Enugu State, Nigeria
Half of the focus group discussions (FGDs) participants fell into the two categories of focus group discussion participants, namely mothers and husbands of women who delivered less than 6 months before the study
Summary
The objective of this study is to explore and document perceptions and attitude associated with uptake of interventions to prevent malaria in pregnancy infection during pregnancy in Enugu State, Nigeria. Nigeria, where the disease accounts for 11 % of maternal mortality and 12–30 % of mortality in children under 5 years of age [1], is one of the hardest hit countries in Africa south of the Sahara. Prevalence rate of malaria among children under 5 years of age in Nigeria was put at. Children under 5 years of age may suffer malaria attacks two to four times each year [3]. A study in Abeokuta, in the South-west of Nigeria, found a very high malaria prevalence rate of 62.4 % among women attending traditional birth homes [4]. Health facility prevalence of malaria in pregnancy in Nigeria is estimated at 48 % [5, 6]. Mortality range associated with malaria in pregnancy can vary 100-fold across the spectrum of birth weight and rises continuously with decreasing weight [8]
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