Health education for community‐based malaria control: an intervention study in Ecuador, Colombia and Nicaragua

Abstract

A malaria study was undertaken in 98 rural communities of the Pacific coast of Ecuador (n= 14), Colombia ( n = z z ) and Nicaragua (n=62). In-depth interviews on people's knowledge and practice regarding malaria aetiology, symptoms and treatment were conducted and complemented by formal household interviews. On the basis of this information, an educational programme was set up which included the training of village health promoters and community workshops organized by the health workers and used a set of methods of interactive learning. After the baseline survey the communities were paired and randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. Malaria education took place only in the intervention communities.At the start of the project people's knowledge about malaria-transmitting mosquitoes and malaria symptoms was correct and widespread in those areas where the community exposure to formal health services was pronounced. However, knowledge of the recommended dose of chloroquine was poor everywhere, and self-treatment of malaria episodes deficient.The educational intervention achieved a high level of participant satisfaction which was expressed in a high and continuous attendance rate at the monthly workshops. The knowledge of malaria aetiology and symptoms was 33-61 % better in the intervention group than in the control group. Knowledge of the recommended doses of chloroquine increased significantly (34% in Ecuador, 93% in Colombia but not in Nicaragua) and correct use of chloroquine in the treatment of malaria episodes also improved (26% in Ecuador, 85% in Colombia). In Nicaragua the results were less satisfactory due to the short period of promotional activities and the health services' policy of delivering only supervised treatment to the population. It is concluded that health education should play a major role in malaria control. keywords health education, malaria control, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua correspondence Axel Kroeger,

Rural–urban differences in health-seeking for the treatment of childhood malaria in south-east Nigeria

“…Measures to promote appropriate health-seeking for the control of malaria should involve educational activities directed at caretakers and drug vendors, the effectiveness of such a training has been recorded for caretakers [46,47] and drug vendors [42,48,49].…”

An Overview of the Malaria Epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Studies have shown a positive correlation between health education and the efficacy of treatment (Kroeger, Meyer, Mancheno, & Gonzalez, 1996). During 1970s and the 1980s, malaria was reasonably well controlled due to high awareness among the population and the use of intermittent preventative treatment (IPT) practices (antenatal administration of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine drug and mosquito nets) to treat and prevent malaria among children (Paul et al, 2015).…”

“…The disease has a higher prevalence among those that are immunocompromised, often including children and pregnant women. One of the largest barriers inhibiting malaria treatment is a lack of education and literacy, which has caused misconceptions about disease development and prevention (Kroeger et al, 1996). Consequently, there has been overuse and misuse of malaria drugs due to self-diagnosis and self-prescription, a practice that has rendered cheaper drugs such as chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine ineffective (Opiyo et al, 2016).…”

“…Federal governments have also invested in commercials to educate the public on malaria transmission as well as methods of protection (Augustincic et al, 2015). By increasing health education and literacy on malaria, as many as 274 million cases and 1.1 million deaths in sub-Saharan Africa have been prevented (Kroeger et al, 1996).…”

Combining malaria control with rural electrification : social and behavioural factors that influenced the design, use and sustainability of solar-powered mosquito trapping systems (SMoTS) for malaria elimination on Rusinga Island, western Kenya

“…In addition, more children under five years and older children slept under LLINs the night preceding the end line survey. These improvements are likely to have been encouraged by the education and awareness campaign that stressed the complementary nature of SolarMal, as other studies of effects on educational interventions on malaria control have shown happens in the short term (Kroeger, Meyer et al 1996;Amoran 2013). The improvements are also likely to have been further enabled by the availability of more LLINs at end line following a mass distribution campaign in August of 2014, 10 months before the end line survey commenced.…”