Treatment Dealay Attitude of Caregivers in Management of Childhood Malaria in Rural Communities in Nigeria.
Date
2014-12-11
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Aims: The aim of this paper was to assess the promptness of caregiver’s action at the
onset of malaria symptoms to giving recommended effective anti-malaria drugs from
public health facility.
Study Design: It was a cross sectional study.
Study Setting: The study was conducted in Akpabuyo, a rural community in Cross River
State, south eastern Nigeria, March to May 2011.
Methods: Announcements were made in the community inviting mothers/caregivers to bring their sick-children/wards to the public primary health facilities for free laboratory
malaria test and treatment. Caregivers treatment seeking behaviour were assessed using
an interviewer administered questionnaire. Data was collected from each of the ten
electoral wards that make up Akpabuyo local government area (LGA) in Cross River
State, Nigeria. Wherever necessary native language or broken-English was used.
Results: Eight hundred and sixty children between the ages of 6 months to 14 years
participated in the study. Majority of them (68%) were under-five years of age. There were
slightly more males (52%) than females, mean age of the children was 47 months. The
mean time-lag between onset of symptom and presentation in the public health-care was
about 168 hours. The mothers either bought their drugs from patent medicine vendors
and/or used herbal-medicines, before eventually going to the public health facility, where
there are both free drugs and skilled manpower. Twenty-seven (27%) of the caregivers
did not give any known treatment.
Conclusion: Mothers/caregivers in this community treat their malaria sick children within
168hours, after lots of delay, trying other remedies, before presenting in public health
facilities. There is need to improve their treatment seeking behaviour, using health
education intervention and behavioural change communication.
Description
Keywords
Malaria, mothers/caregivers, delay attitude, public health facilities
Citation
Ezedinachi Emmanuel N, Odey Friday A, Esu Ekpereonne B, Oduwole Olabisi A, Nwachuku Nuria S, Meremikwu Martin M.Treatment Dealay Attitude of Caregivers in Management of Childhood Malaria in Rural Communities in Nigeria.British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research. 2014 Dec; 4(35): 5577-5586.