Use of long-lasting insecticidal nets among women attending antenatal clinic at a tertiary hospital in Bayelsa State, Nigeria 2019

Abstract

Background Malaria in pregnancy remains a major contributor to maternal and infant morbidity and mortality despite scale up in interventions. Its prevention is one of the major interventions in reducing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. The ownership, utilization and predictors of use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) for malaria prevention among women attending antenatal clinic (ANC) at a tertiary hospital in Bayelsa State Nigeria was assessed. Methods A cross-sectional study of 297 women recruited through systematic sampling was carried out. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, ownership, source and utilization of LLINs, were collected with a pre-tested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The relationship between use of LLIN and sociodemographic characteristics was examined using chi square and logistic regression at 5% level of significance. Results The mean age of respondents was 28.8 ± 2.6 years. Most (59.2%) had tertiary education and were mainly (88.2%) urban dwellers. Two hundred and fifty (84.2%) owned LLINs, and 196 (78%) used LLIN the night prior to the interview. Almost half of the respondents purchased their LLINs. Those who purchased LLINs were 3 times more likely to have used it (OR: 3.13, 95% CI 1.62–6.04) compared to those that got it free. Those who were gainfully employed (OR: 3.16, 95% CI 1.59–6.29) and those who earned above the minimum wage (OR: 2.88, 95% CI 1.45–5.72) were 3 times more likely to have used LLIN in their index pregnancy. Conclusion The use of LLIN as a preventive measure against malaria was relatively high among the participants in this study, though still below national target. The major factors determining the use of LLIN among these women were purchase of LLINs and being gainfully employed. It was recommended that efforts should be made to enforce the policy of free LLINs at ANC registration at the tertiary hospitals, as this would further drive up ownership and utilization rates.

Malaria and HIV Co-Infection among Pregnant Women in Africa: Prevalence, Effect on Immunity and Clinical Management: Review

“…Several studies have shown that HIV during pregnancy amplifies the effects of malaria [9], which is why administering Cotrimozaxole alongside antiretroviral therapy (ART) to pregnant women is essential during every antenatal-care visit [9]. Nevertheless, there is enough evidence to show that, despite efforts such as the distribution of long-lasting insecticidal bednets (LLINs) to pregnant women [10] and the implementation of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT-p) programs to reduce the burden of these infections [11], co-infection among pregnant women remains a problem, as malaria during pregnancy persists among pregnant women [1,[12][13][14].…”