Home-based malaria management in children by women: Evidence from a malaria endemic community in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

15Objective: To examine the medicines and dosage that mothers who engaged in home-16 based malaria management administer to children aged ≤ 5 years having signs and 17 symptoms associated with malaria. It was also to discuss the possibilities of designing an 18 effective home-based malaria management strategy. 19 Methods:The data were obtained from face-to-face semi-structured interviews 20 conducted with mothers in the Ugbowo Community of Benin City, Nigeria who were 21 selected using multi-stage systematic random sampling technique. The data were 22 2 analyzed by qualitative content analysis, arithmetic mean, simple percentages and bar 23 chart. 24Results: Approximately 90% of the interviewees engaged in home-based malaria 25 management and 10% patronised the hospital. Most of the interviewees who engaged in 26 home-based malaria management administered medicines that stimulate the production of 27 red blood cells and supplies vitamins to children having signs and symptoms of malaria, 28 followed by painkillers, anti-malaria and cough medicine was the least. Of the anti-29 malaria medicines administered to children almost 80% of the interviewees administered 30 chloroquine to children, 15% quinine and three per cent halfan. Approximately 60% of 31 the interviewees had the correct knowledge of the dosage regime for chloroquine, 38% 32 for quinine and nine per cent for halfan. 33Conclusions: Although home-based malaria management is important it cannot serve as 34 a substitute to the hospital. Some diseases have signs and symptoms that are similar to 35 that of malaria which implies that administering anti-malaria medicines to a child without 36 confirmatory tests might lead to irredeemable complications in that child. If the strategy 37 is to make home-based malaria management effective and sustainable mothers and 38 community health officials should be involved in designing the strategy. Simple rapid 39 diagnostic test kits for malaria should be made available to community health officials 40 and pharmacists so that confirmatory tests could be carried out before dispensing 41 medicines. 42 43

Nocturnal Activities and Strategies for Self-Protection Against Human-Vectors Contact in a Peri-Urban Community in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

“…Furthermore, 6.4% responded that malaria is caused by witchcraft. A total of 82.1% respondents had the knowledge that the best preventive practice is sleeping under nets followed by spraying insecticides (81%) then screening of windows with net (80%) which is also similar to report by Amaechi and Ukpai [19] and Eugene-Ezebilo [20]. An investigation by Msugh-Ter et al [21] revealed that most students make use of window nets as protection against mosquito bites 77.7% (233/300) followed by insecticide treated nets and insecticidal sprays while very few respondents 0.7% (2/300) made use of mosquito weeds as repellents.…”