Practices among Household Heads Towards Malaria Control in Mosocho Divison of Kisii County, Kenya

Abstract

Malaria is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Its burden is greater felt in sub Saharan Africa, with 15% of all disability adjusted life years (DALYs) lost to the disease. Malaria affects more than 70% of its population. The disease also remains a cause of much suffering due to social and economic problems. The understanding of malaria transmission, recognition of signs and symptoms, perception of cause, treatment seeking patterns and preventive measures are important in malaria control. Malaria is the most prevalent disease in Mosocho division rated at 14.4%.The study evaluated practices towards malaria control among household heads. A cross sectional study design was employed it involved a sample size of 384 household heads. Multi-age sampling was used to select participants for the study. Pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to gather information from household heads. Interview guides were used to collect data from key informants. The focus group discussions that were used involved household heads that were randomly selected. Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Chi-square test was used to determine differences in the responses given. The findings revealed that Practices towards malaria control were high with two hundred and forty five respondents (63.8%) exhibiting above average practices towards malaria control. One hundred and eleven respondents (28.9%) mentioned that some of their household members failed to use mosquito nets every night. The study recommends that community health promotion interventions through behavior change Communication should be sustained. Locally tailored messages should be used to highlight the threat posed by malaria, non-adherence of malaria prescription and the importance of every one participating in malaria control interventions. Mosquito net hanging demonstrations should be regularly carried out to enhance net-hanging skills. Community members should be assured that mosquito nets are safe and effective and must be used in all seasons all around the year.