Perceptions of symptoms of severe childhood malaria among Mijikenda and Luo residents of Coastal Kenya

Abstract

SummaryEffective community based malaria control programmes require an understanding of current perceptions of malaria as a disease and its severe manifestations. Quantitative and qualitative surveys of mothers on the Kenyan Coast suggest that fever is conceptualised in biomedical terms whereas the aetiology of severe malaria is perceived to be of more complex cultural origin. This is reflected in the treatments sought for convulsions. The results are discussed in the context of ethnographic factors. To be effective, future health information programmes must take cultural beliefs into account.

The Anthropology of Africa: Challenges for the 21st Century

“…This illness is believed, by the local community to be caused by degedege, a bird that enters the victim. These have also been reported by Mwenesi et al (1995) among the Mijikenda of Kilifi, Kenya. Some informants (5 of 35) reported that cerebral malaria may be caused through witchcraft.…”

The Anthropology of Africa: Challenges for the 21st Century

“…This illness is believed, by the local community to be caused by degedege, a bird that enters the victim. These have also been reported by Mwenesi et al (1995) among the Mijikenda of Kilifi, Kenya. Some informants (5 of 35) reported that cerebral malaria may be caused through witchcraft.…”

Barriers to the effective treatment and prevention of malaria in Africa: A systematic review of qualitative studies

“…Quantitative data from the studies included in our analysis support this finding, showing that up to 80% of survey respondents cite causes of malaria that do not implicate transmission by mosquitoes [12-14,37,45,50]. Similarly, only 8-27% of respondents related common complications of malaria such as convulsions and anemia, to mosquitoes or malaria [12,40]. This finding has important implications for malaria control programs, which rely heavily on vector control strategies, including the use of insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs).…”

Exploring communities’ perceptions of the etiology of illnesses in newborns and young infants 0–59 days old in 4 counties in Kenya

“…For example, in a study in Uganda, caregivers attributed symptoms of severe malaria or other biomedical illnesses to traditional and biomedical causes [31]. The findings also compare with results from other studies on ethnoetiology of illness in older children, including evidence from Kenya [14,15,33]. A study by Abubakar and others in rural coastal Kenya noted that caregivers expressed multiple parallel beliefs on causes of illness in children under-five years [14].…”

The Anthropology of Africa: Challenges for the 21st Century

“…This illness is believed, by the local community to be caused by degedege, a bird that enters the victim. These have also been reported by Mwenesi et al (1995) among the Mijikenda of Kilifi, Kenya. Some informants (5 of 35) reported that cerebral malaria may be caused through witchcraft.…”

Barriers to the effective treatment and prevention of malaria in Africa: A systematic review of qualitative studies

“…Quantitative data from the studies included in our analysis support this finding, showing that up to 80% of survey respondents cite causes of malaria that do not implicate transmission by mosquitoes [12-14,37,45,50]. Similarly, only 8-27% of respondents related common complications of malaria such as convulsions and anemia, to mosquitoes or malaria [12,40]. This finding has important implications for malaria control programs, which rely heavily on vector control strategies, including the use of insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs).…”

Exploring communities’ perceptions of the etiology of illnesses in newborns and young infants 0–59 days old in 4 counties in Kenya

“…For example, in a study in Uganda, caregivers attributed symptoms of severe malaria or other biomedical illnesses to traditional and biomedical causes [31]. The findings also compare with results from other studies on ethnoetiology of illness in older children, including evidence from Kenya [14,15,33]. A study by Abubakar and others in rural coastal Kenya noted that caregivers expressed multiple parallel beliefs on causes of illness in children under-five years [14].…”

The Anthropology of Africa: Challenges for the 21st Century

“…This illness is believed, by the local community to be caused by degedege, a bird that enters the victim. These have also been reported by Mwenesi et al (1995) among the Mijikenda of Kilifi, Kenya. Some informants (5 of 35) reported that cerebral malaria may be caused through witchcraft.…”

Barriers to the effective treatment and prevention of malaria in Africa: A systematic review of qualitative studies

“…Quantitative data from the studies included in our analysis support this finding, showing that up to 80% of survey respondents cite causes of malaria that do not implicate transmission by mosquitoes [12-14,37,45,50]. Similarly, only 8-27% of respondents related common complications of malaria such as convulsions and anemia, to mosquitoes or malaria [12,40]. This finding has important implications for malaria control programs, which rely heavily on vector control strategies, including the use of insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs).…”

Exploring communities’ perceptions of the etiology of illnesses in newborns and young infants 0–59 days old in 4 counties in Kenya

“…For example, in a study in Uganda, caregivers attributed symptoms of severe malaria or other biomedical illnesses to traditional and biomedical causes [31]. The findings also compare with results from other studies on ethnoetiology of illness in older children, including evidence from Kenya [14,15,33]. A study by Abubakar and others in rural coastal Kenya noted that caregivers expressed multiple parallel beliefs on causes of illness in children under-five years [14].…”