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Abstract
Background: In Cameroon, malaria is a serious public health problem accounting for 40-45% of medical consultations, 57% of hospitalization days and 40% of mortality among children below 5 years.
Objective: To understand how people recognize malaria, its cause and prevention including identification of personal modifiable risky behaviours that are important in planning approaches for its prevention and control.
Methods: A structured questionnaire on malaria determinants was administered to inhabitants of a malaria endemic setting in a cross-sectional study.
Result: Majority (97.64%) of the respondents knew at least a symptom of malaria. Symptoms such as “nyor yayan”, “mbeb kansi” “tu-lu”, “chirr” “mngan yayan” corresponding respectively to fever, chills, headache, vomiting and joint pains agree with the description of orthodox medicine. The commonest (15%) symptom mentioned was headache. The respondents had a rating score of 27.7% for the cause of malaria to be mosquito bites. Some incorrect causes of malaria mentioned included bad whether (9.5%), curse from an elder (7.1%), witchcraft (3.5%), bad food (9.0%), unclean water (5.9%) and drinking alcoholics (2.4%). 60.5% respondents reported practicing a correct preventive measure against malaria. Prominent correct preventive measures included environmental sanitation (21.3%), use of aerosol insecticides (10.3%), mosquito coil (7.9%), chemoprophylaxis (5.9%), mosquito net (1.2%) and traditional medicines (13.8%), as well as incorrect methods such as avoiding the hot early morning sunrays (9.5%). The practice of malaria prevention is related to the educational status of the participants with less educated people practicing it more than educated people.
Conclusion: Proper health education messages on malaria determinants are required to improve upon the understanding of the study population. This could be through the use of non-scientific term messages with the help of village and community health workers. Posters, radio and television could be used.
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References
- Aikins, M.K., Pickering, H. & Greenwood, B.M. (1994). Attitudes to malaria, traditional practices and bed nets (mosquito nets) as vector control measures: a comparative study in five West African Countries. Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 97:81-86
- Desfontaine, M., Gelas, H. Cabon, J. Goghomu, A. Kouka-Bemba, D. And Carnaval, P. (1989). Evaluation des pratiques et des couts de lutte antivectorielle a l’echelon familial en Afrique Centrale. Ville de Yaounde (Cameroun). Bulletin de la Societe de Pathologic exotique, 82 :558-565.
- Desfontaine, M., Gelas, H. Cabon, J. Goghomu, A. Kouka-Bemba, D. And Carnaval, P. (1989). Evaluation des pratiques et des couts de lutte antivectorielle a l’echelon familial en Afrique Centrale II. Ville de Douala (Cameroun). Juillet 1988. Annales de la Société Belge de Medicine Tropicals, 70 :137-144.
- Einterz, E. M & Bates, M. E (1997) .Fever in Africa: do patients know when they are hot? The Lancet. 350:781.
- Foster, S. (1995). Treatment of malaria outside the formal health services. Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 98 (1) 29-34.
- Goriup, S (1989). Perspectives and constraints on Chemotherapy and practical consideration in the use of vaccine: analysis of available measures for malaria control in Africa South of the Sahara. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 83(suppl): 81-83.
- Greenberg A. E. ntumbanzondo, C. M. (1991). Malaria, L. Howell, J. and Davachi, F. (1989) Hospital-based Surveillance of malaria-related Pediatric morbidity and mortality in Kinshasa, Zaire. World Health Organisation Bulletin, 67:189-196.
- Kilama, W. L., & Kihamia, C. M. (1991) Mlalaria. In Health and disease in Tanzania. (Nwaluko, G. M. P; Kilama, W.L., Mandara, M. P. Mrru, M. and Macpherson, C. N. L. (Eds.) London Harper Collins, 117-132.
- Konradsen, F., Van de hoek, W. Amerasingle, P. H ; Amerasingle, F. P & Fonseka, k. T. (1997). Household responses to malaria and their costs: a study from rural Sri Lanka. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 91 (2): 127-130.
- Lantum, D. N. (1971). The malaria problem in Cameroon in 1969. The West African Medical Journal, 285-292.
- Manson-Bahr, P. E. C & Bell, D. R. (1987). Malaria and bebesiosis. In Manson’s tropical diseases, 19th ed. London, Bailliere tindall, pp. 3-51.
- Ongore, D; Kamunvi, F. Knight, R. and Minawa, A. (1983). A KAP of rural community on malaria mosquito. East African Medical Journal, 66:79-90.
- Raikes, A. (1989). Women’s Health in East Africa. Social Science and Medicine, 28:447-459.
- Ruebush, T. K., Kern, M. K. Campbell, C.C., Oloo, A.J. (1995). Self-treatment of malaria in a rural area of Western Kenya. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 73(2):229-236.
- Service, M.W (1993). Community participation in vector-borne disease control. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 87:223-234.
- Spencer, H. C. Kaseje, D.C.O; Collins, W.E Shehata, M.G. Turner, A; Stanfill, P.S; Huong, A.J; Rebert, J.M.; Villinski, M. and Koech, D.K. (1987). Community-based malaria control in Saradidi, Kenya: description of the progamme and impact on parasitemia rates and anti-malaria antibodies. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 81(suppl. 1):13-23.
- Van Geldermalsen, A.A & Munochivey, R (1995). knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) relating to malaria in Mashonaland Central, Zimbabwe, Central African Journal of Medicine, 41(1):10-14.
- Wernsdorfer, W.H. & Kouznetsov, R.L. (1980). Drug-resistant malaria-occurrence, control and surveillanxe. Bulletin of the World health Organization, 58:341-352.
- WHO (1984). Technical Report Series No. 711. Advances in Malaria Chemotherapy: Report of a WHO Scientific Group, WHO, Geneva.
- WHO (1990). Practical Chemotherapy of malaria. Report of a WHO Scientific Group. Technical Report Series No. 805. WHO, Geneva.
- Yeneneh, H. Gyorkos, T.W., Joseph L. Pickering, J. & Tedla, S. (1993). Anti-malaria drug utilization by women in Ethiopia: a knowledge-attitudes-practice study. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 71(6): 763-772.
References
Aikins, M.K., Pickering, H. & Greenwood, B.M. (1994). Attitudes to malaria, traditional practices and bed nets (mosquito nets) as vector control measures: a comparative study in five West African Countries. Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 97:81-86
Desfontaine, M., Gelas, H. Cabon, J. Goghomu, A. Kouka-Bemba, D. And Carnaval, P. (1989). Evaluation des pratiques et des couts de lutte antivectorielle a l’echelon familial en Afrique Centrale. Ville de Yaounde (Cameroun). Bulletin de la Societe de Pathologic exotique, 82 :558-565.
Desfontaine, M., Gelas, H. Cabon, J. Goghomu, A. Kouka-Bemba, D. And Carnaval, P. (1989). Evaluation des pratiques et des couts de lutte antivectorielle a l’echelon familial en Afrique Centrale II. Ville de Douala (Cameroun). Juillet 1988. Annales de la Société Belge de Medicine Tropicals, 70 :137-144.
Einterz, E. M & Bates, M. E (1997) .Fever in Africa: do patients know when they are hot? The Lancet. 350:781.
Foster, S. (1995). Treatment of malaria outside the formal health services. Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 98 (1) 29-34.
Goriup, S (1989). Perspectives and constraints on Chemotherapy and practical consideration in the use of vaccine: analysis of available measures for malaria control in Africa South of the Sahara. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 83(suppl): 81-83.
Greenberg A. E. ntumbanzondo, C. M. (1991). Malaria, L. Howell, J. and Davachi, F. (1989) Hospital-based Surveillance of malaria-related Pediatric morbidity and mortality in Kinshasa, Zaire. World Health Organisation Bulletin, 67:189-196.
Kilama, W. L., & Kihamia, C. M. (1991) Mlalaria. In Health and disease in Tanzania. (Nwaluko, G. M. P; Kilama, W.L., Mandara, M. P. Mrru, M. and Macpherson, C. N. L. (Eds.) London Harper Collins, 117-132.
Konradsen, F., Van de hoek, W. Amerasingle, P. H ; Amerasingle, F. P & Fonseka, k. T. (1997). Household responses to malaria and their costs: a study from rural Sri Lanka. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 91 (2): 127-130.
Lantum, D. N. (1971). The malaria problem in Cameroon in 1969. The West African Medical Journal, 285-292.
Manson-Bahr, P. E. C & Bell, D. R. (1987). Malaria and bebesiosis. In Manson’s tropical diseases, 19th ed. London, Bailliere tindall, pp. 3-51.
Ongore, D; Kamunvi, F. Knight, R. and Minawa, A. (1983). A KAP of rural community on malaria mosquito. East African Medical Journal, 66:79-90.
Raikes, A. (1989). Women’s Health in East Africa. Social Science and Medicine, 28:447-459.
Ruebush, T. K., Kern, M. K. Campbell, C.C., Oloo, A.J. (1995). Self-treatment of malaria in a rural area of Western Kenya. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 73(2):229-236.
Service, M.W (1993). Community participation in vector-borne disease control. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 87:223-234.
Spencer, H. C. Kaseje, D.C.O; Collins, W.E Shehata, M.G. Turner, A; Stanfill, P.S; Huong, A.J; Rebert, J.M.; Villinski, M. and Koech, D.K. (1987). Community-based malaria control in Saradidi, Kenya: description of the progamme and impact on parasitemia rates and anti-malaria antibodies. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 81(suppl. 1):13-23.
Van Geldermalsen, A.A & Munochivey, R (1995). knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) relating to malaria in Mashonaland Central, Zimbabwe, Central African Journal of Medicine, 41(1):10-14.
Wernsdorfer, W.H. & Kouznetsov, R.L. (1980). Drug-resistant malaria-occurrence, control and surveillanxe. Bulletin of the World health Organization, 58:341-352.
WHO (1984). Technical Report Series No. 711. Advances in Malaria Chemotherapy: Report of a WHO Scientific Group, WHO, Geneva.
WHO (1990). Practical Chemotherapy of malaria. Report of a WHO Scientific Group. Technical Report Series No. 805. WHO, Geneva.
Yeneneh, H. Gyorkos, T.W., Joseph L. Pickering, J. & Tedla, S. (1993). Anti-malaria drug utilization by women in Ethiopia: a knowledge-attitudes-practice study. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 71(6): 763-772.