Seasonal Malaria Chemo-Prevention Strategy: A Cross-Sectional Study of Healthcare Workers in Public Primary Healthcare Facilities in Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Malaria infection is one of the most significant public health problems and the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. Pregnant women and under-five (U5) children are particularly at risk in areas where malaria is endemic. The U5 children account for about 80% of all malaria-related deaths. This study aims to assess the adherence to the national guidelines for administering seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) in U5 children by healthcare workers (HCWs) working in public Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in Edo State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study design was employed to assess the sociodemographic characteristics, awareness, and prescription of chemo-preventive therapy for the U5 by 200 HCWs in public PHC facilities in Edo State, with the aid of the researcher-designed pretested, self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential data analyses were carried out using the IBM SPSS version 20 software. All p-values had two tails and were deemed statistically significant if < 0.05. The majority of HCWs (71.5%) did not adhere to the national guideline for using chemo-preventive treatment for malaria in children, and there was a statistically significant relationship between many sociodemographic factors and compliance. The length of the HCW’s work (in years) was a critical indicator of compliance with the recommendation. In conclusion, the use of malaria chemo-preventive treatment in accordance with the Nigerian malaria diagnosis and treatment guidelines is being practiced ineffectively by HCWs in public PHCs in Edo State. A longer period of employment (in years) predicts a better practice. Keywords: Implementation, Nigeria, Primary healthcare (PHC), Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), Under-five children.