Impact of malaria related messages on insecticide-treated net (ITN) use for malaria prevention in Ghana

Abstract

BackgroundMedia messages have been used in Ghana to promote insecticide-treated net (ITN)/bed net usage in an effort to impact on malaria prevention. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of such malaria-related messages delivered through electronic/print media and by volunteers/health workers on the use of ITNs by children living in a household.MethodsData was collected from September to November of 2008 using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire by the Ghana Statistical Service as part of a national demographic and health survey (DHS). Secondary data analysis was performed on the collected data using multivariate logistic regression for both individual messages and a composite (any of) message variable.ResultsFrom the 11,788 households surveyed, 45% had at least one net. Households with male heads were more likely to have a child sleeping under a bed net the previous night (p = 0.0001). Individual Messages delivered by a health worker or a dedicated radio programme, had the highest effect for one or more children sleeping under a net the night before (OR adjusted = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.44 to 1.88 and OR adjusted = 1.26; 95% CI =1.12 to 1.42 respectively) while hearing any of the eight messages (composite score) resulted in the highest odds for one or more children (OR adjusted = 3.06; 95% CI = 2.27 to 4.12) sleeping under a bed net.ConclusionEfforts to relate ITN messages to the public are very useful in increasing use of bed nets and having multiple ways of reaching the public increases their effect, with the biggest effect seen when health workers and volunteers were used to deliver malaria-related messages to the public.

Perceptions on the effect of small electric fans on comfort inside bed nets in southern Ghana: a qualitative study

“…Nevertheless, a variety of barriers to bed net use exists. The findings in this study support earlier research highlighting discomfort due to heat and (low) perceived mosquito density as barriers to bed net use [9, 23–25]. In addition, this study also indicated that outdoor sleeping is common throughout the hot and dry season, which runs from approximately October to April in the study area.…”

Nationwide evaluation of malaria infections, morbidity, mortality, and coverage of malaria control interventions in Madagascar

“…Numerous KAP surveys regarding malaria have been conducted, including MIS, but the exposure to IEC messages and analysis of media through which those messages are disseminated have less been investigated [ 27 , 35 , 36 ]. Results show that people belonging to upper SES and the more educated people are more exposed to, or better retain IEC messages about malaria from all media, except information meetings.…”

Accounting for regional transmission variability and the impact of malaria control interventions in Ghana: A population level mathematical modelling approach.

“…1a, and similarly for predicted cases of severe malaria and malaria in pregnancy as shown in S4 Fig. 1b [39,67])/1000 population respectively by 2020 and 27 (95% p.CI [10,55])/1000 and 11 (95% p.CI [4,28])/1000 population by 2030, S5 Table 3. Similar predictions are also observed for the Coastal savannah where the possible proportion of cases averted could be 58.9% and 62.9% for a 30% and 60% IRS PE by 2030, Fig.…”

“…Therefore, as continuous efforts are being made by the NMCP and other stakeholders to scale up various vector control measures across the country, an even stronger advocacy needs to be made for education of the population through various channels such radio, television messages and programmes and community durbars on the uptake of the various malaria interventions especially LLINs [39,40].…”