Abstract
Despite its simple and perceived affordable prevention methods, malaria has over time remained the main killer disease in Africa, Sub Sahara Africa, Cameroon and the North West Region in Particular. It is from the above backdrop that this study uses quantitative approach to examine the socioeconomic determinants of malaria prevention options adoption by households in the North West Region of Cameroon. Thus, data was collected from 400 households purposively selected among the top ten health districts with high prevalence of malaria in the North West Region of Cameroon. The study used both Ordinary Least Square, Poisson and Ordered Logit Regression techniques to capture the socioeconomic determinants of malaria prevention behaviour of households. These different methodologies were used to check the robustness of the results as methodology changes. The findings reveal that community based malaria prevalence, knowledge of malaria signs, knowledge of malaria cause, age of household heads, marital status of household heads, household size, cost of malaria prevention, household monthly income, education and employment status of the household head are all socioeconomic factors that determine malaria prevention options adopted by households in the North West Region. Based on the findings, the study strongly recommends further sensitization campaigns; creation of community-based malaria control committees; sponsored media programs; household empowerment programs, free distribution of Insecticide Treated Bed Nets, the use of holistic rather than individualistic malaria prevention strategies, among others as specific policy measures that can health achieve the much desired goal of eradicating malaria in the North West Region and Cameroon as a whole.
Highlights
IntroductionMalaria is perhaps the one with the most elusive interplay with human history
Of all diseases, malaria is perhaps the one with the most elusive interplay with human history
This study focused at the household rather than individual level because malaria prevention options adopted hardly vary within a household since it is the household head that usually take such major decisions; the reason why the household head was most preferred in the research
Summary
Malaria is perhaps the one with the most elusive interplay with human history. It has long affected human beings, and has left its mark on modern populations. The disease acted as a barrier to European colonialism and rendered many areas of the world, especially in Africa, largely unproductive. Its incidence has been in turn influenced by human activities and practices from time immemorial. It is perhaps the most ecologically sensitive of all human diseases.
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