A survey of anti-malarial activity during pregnancy, and children's malaria care-seeking behaviour in two Nigerian rural communities

Abstract

This study investigated anti-malarial prophylaxis during pregnancy and children's malaria care-seeking behaviour by mothers with children 5 y of age and below drawn from 2 rural communities in southern Nigeria. Findings showed that 37% of mothers said they had used anti-malarial prophylaxis (chloroquine, 50%) during pregnancy, while only 30% of them had bed net (untreated) at home, with 44% of the bed net damaged. Over half (59%) of the respondents reported that their children had had fever/malaria in the forthnight recall period, and a majority of them (44%) were treated in medicine shops. Injections accounted for 33% of the medications received by them. Of the 74% of children who were given treatment, there were delays of 2 or more d in seeking care for a quarter of them. Only 21% of the mothers attributed malaria to bites from infected mosquitoes, despite the high prevalence of childhood malaria. Low coverage of anti-malarial intervention during pregnancy and inappropriate children's malaria care-seeking behaviour has been identified. An appropriate mechanism for delivery of insecticide-treated bed nets in addition to educational interventions is recommended in order to reduce the burden of malaria among pregnant women and children in these communities.