Abstract:

Nigeria contributes the highest morbidity and mortality rate to the global burden of malaria. it a known fact that malaria is one of the major public health issues in developing countries in which about 3.4 billion people are at risk of the disease globally. Pregnant women and children are classified to be the most vulnerable group that is mostly affected in the population.

Methodology: a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending ante-natal clinic in a tertiary health institution, using a semi structured questionnaire Scores were used to grade respondent knowledge of malaria infection and preventive seeking behaviour. Data was presented using descriptive statistics and Inferential statistics was used for the association between various variable and preventive seeking behaviour of respondent towards malaria.

Result: The result shows that of 204 respondent interviewed the mean age was 27.6+6.2 years, 93% has good awareness about malaria infection, and a good proportion of the respondent i.e. 60.4% has good preventive seeking behaviour and all socio demographic characteristics are statistically associated with preventive seeking behaviour (p<0.05) except age which is (p>0.05).

Conclusion: This study indicates that socio demographic variable except age affect preventive seeking behaviour towards malaria among pregnant women, preventive seeking behaviour such as drinking traditional concoction should be discouraged so as not to affect the development of the foetus and more awareness campaign on the use of insecticide treated net should be carried out.

References:

[1].   Kenny et al 2010 Sub Saharan Africa’s mothers, newborn, and children where and why do they die?plos ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed 1000294.

[2].   WHO 2013 rural southwest Nigeria.

[3].   Centre for Disease Control and Prevention CDC impact of malaria 2016

http://www.cdc.govtmalaria/malaria-wordwide/impacthtml. Assessed 03, May 2018.

[4].   WHO.2017 Malaria in pregnant women Geneva: world health organization.

http://www.who.int/malaria/malaria-worldwideimpart.html Accessed 07 may 2018.

[5].   Norland GS, Graves PM, Slleu A, Ggege A, Gruukah E, Patterson AE. Malaria prevalence, anaemia and baseline intervention courage pror to mass net distribution in Abia and Pleteau State Nigeria BMC infectious diseases. 14: 168D010.1184/14712334-14-168.

[6].   F and B.2016 challenges in the management of malaria in Nigeria: a healthcare system preview epidemiology (Sunnyvale). 6.253.

[7].   Rakhshani F, Ansri MA, Alemi K, Moradi A 2003. Knowledge, perception and prevention of malaria among women in Sistan Va Baluchesten, Ilamic reoublic of Iran Eastern Meditterranean. Health journal 9248-256.

[8].   Andongo PB, Kirkwood B. 2005, How local community knowledge about malaria affect insecticide treated net use in northern Ghana. Tropical medicine and international Health 10: 366-378. Dollo.1111/.1365.2005.

[9].   Minjah, Obrist B. 2005. Integrating local and biomedical knowledge and communication experience from Kinet project in Southern Tanzania. Human organization 64.157-165.

[10].  Russel T, L, Wetolgera D, Chipwaza B. 2010. Impact of promoting long lasting insecticide treatment of bed net upon malaria transmission in rural Tanzanian setting with pre-existing high coverage of untreated net. Malaria journal 19 (187).

[11].  Federal ministry of health (FMOH)2016 Nigeria and National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) [Nigeria]: National Malaria Strategic plan 204-2020. Abuja Nigeria.

[12].  Amusan VV, Umar YA, Vantsawa PA,2017 knowledge, attitude and practice on malaria prevention and control among private security guard within Kaduna metropolis Kaduna State Nigeria Sci public health; 3, 240-5.

[13].  Singh R, Musa J, Ebere UV,2014 knowledge attitude and practice on malaria among the rural communities in Ilorin, Northern Nigeria fam med prim care 2014,3:39-44.

[14].  Kelechi EO, Joyce MT, Samuel TY 2019, knowledge of malaria prevention among pregnant women and non-pregnant mothers of children under 5 years in Ibadan southwest Nigeria.

[15].  Ayodeji M. Adebayo, Oluwaseun O. Akinyemi and Eniola Cadmus 2015 knowledge of malaria prevention among pregnant women and female caregiver of under five children in rural southwest Nigeria. Pear> D0110.7717/pear.792.