Insecticide Treated bed Net (ITN) is considered to be the most efficacious of all currently feasible interventions for malaria control in Africa. However, its use is still low in Rivers State. This study sought to evaluate the use of insecticide treated bed net, in under-five children in Alakahia, Rivers State. This was a cross-sectional study carried out from 1 st August to 31 st October 2014, over a period of 3 months. Three hundred and ninety-nine children-parent/caregiver pairs were recruited. Children, aged 6-59 months were selected using systematic and simple random sampling methods. The data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. A general examination was done followed by collection of blood samples for estimation of packed cell volume and malaria parasitaemia. ITN ownership per household was 60.2%. Of the 240 respondents who owned ITN, 157 (65.4%) used them for their under-five children, but only 50 (31.8%) children slept under an ITN the night before the study. The factors found to influence the use of ITN were number of nets owned and where the net was got. However, purchasing an ITN was the strongest predictor of ITN use (OR =14.091, P= 0.000). The most common reason for non-use of ITN was 'too hot ' (19.3%). Ownership and use rates were fair, however consistency in the use of the nets was poor. More efforts should be put into health education for behaviour modification.

Group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) pharyngitis when untreated can cause non-suppurative sequelae such as acute rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis. Prompt treatment of infected individuals with appropriate antibiotics that the organism is susceptible to, is important in preventing these untoward complications. This study intends to identify the antibiotic susceptibility of GABHS in Rivers State, Nigeria, and to guide health care workers in choosing effective antibiotic for the treatment of GABHS infections in children. Methodology: Throat swabs were taken from primary school pupils aged 6 to 12 years in Rivers State between May and July 2015. The throat swabs were cultured using 5% sheep blood agar. Antibiotic susceptibility was carried out on the Group A beta-haemolytic streptococcal isolates. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 using descriptive statistics. Chi square tests of significance were used with a 95% confidence interval (P< 0.05). Results: A total of 18 out of 456 pupils had a positive streptococcal throat culture for GABHS giving a prevalence rate of 3.9%. The isolated GABHS were most susceptible to azithromycin (87%) followed by penicillin (81.5%) and ampicillin (64.8%). The pathogens were least susceptible to tetracycline (37%) and co-trimoxazole (18.5%). Conclusion: The prevalence of GABHS was low and it was mostly susceptible to Azithromycin and penicillin. These could be used as the drug of choice in the empirical treatment of GABHS throat infection in the locality.