A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON HEALTH EDUCATION INTERVENTION ON MALARIA PREVENTION IN COMMUNITIES

Background to the Study

Nigeria is a nation fill with vegetation and water bodies; this is usually pronounced in the eastern and the southern part of the country. This is usually good for the people living in such environment in terms of agriculture and good weather condition; even with these advantages there are more disadvantages to this gift of nature.

Some of the disadvantages include diseases presented by most of the water bodies especially the stagnant ones. But for the purpose of this study we shall focus on malaria as one of the advantages faced by the inhabitants of this environment.

From the statistics of world health organization (WHO); it reads that malaria is mostly found throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world and this ugly disease has causes more than three hundred (300) to about five hundred (500) million acute illness. The study went further to state that more than one million deaths from this population are noticed annually.

 

The study states that about 30 to 40 percent of the world population is that are living in most of the poorest countries are liable to be infected with malaria parasite. The malaria parasite spread more far more than four times living with most deadly diseases like Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Leprosy, measles, tuberculosis, whooping cough etc. combined together today.

It is general noticed that most young mother of under three to five in the six geo-political zones in Nigeria have neglected this issue of malaria parasite and the preventive methods as recommended by the world health organisation (WHO).

Most health organisations have been trying to control the effect of this malaria parasites; the national malaria situation survey relating to the preventive health behaviour in malaria shows that there have been a poor use of mosquito net among parents of under five in the six geo-political zones in Nigeria; the study shows that a percentage below 10% was recorded for the parents of under-five that uses mosquito nets.

The survey went on to show that some of the preventive measures that were reportedly adopted included the use of the following: Windows- 16.5%, door nets –15.6%, insecticide and aerosol –33.8%, mosquito repellents about 22.7% and herbs were about 23.0%.

Malaria is the most occurring parasitic endemic disease in Africa, although it is preventable, treatable and curable, but yet it is one of the major health problems in Nigeria. The malaria effect and signs in the country is getting worse despite numerous interventions that have been used for the prevention. The blockage to the success of some the interventions are observed to be socio-cultural, economic and political in nature. Malaria is stated to be  the most alarming cause of death and deformity in children under five in the country. In Nigeria today, modern medicine tends to interpret health in terms of medical interventions, and discuss more on the importance of medical technologies. It is mostly ideal to promote the concept and qualities of health as a result of the interaction of human beings and their surrounding environment. Behavioural change communication aimed at making sure that individuals, families, communities and health workers are taking preventive measures to prevent disease, improve on their knowledge of malaria and use of antimalarial drugs accordingly. There should be more efforts to facilitate a smooth transition into the use of Arthemisin based combination theraphy (ACTs). Intensive BBC and capacity development should be directed towards the user of the malaria drugs and all cadres of health providers through under listed means.

Today if we decide to compare Africa with the rest of the world we will see to it that African have a greater burden of the issue of malaria; in Africa and other south of Sahara, it is noticed that malaria infections caused by plasmodium falciparum is most severe and posed danger to the lives of the people in that environment.

In Nigeria today poor infrastructures like good hospital tends to increase the campaign against malaria. We have only noticed few benefits from the history on the fight against malaria in most part of Nigeria.