Determinants Of Pregnant Women's Awareness of Intermittent Malaria Prevention Treatment in Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: In Sub-Saharan Africa, malaria continues to pose a major risk to pregnancy. Numerous issues are linked to it, including low birth weight, abortion, preterm delivery, stillbirth, mother and newborn mortality, and maternal anaemia. This study investigated pregnant women's awareness of and factors influencing their usage of intermittent preventive therapy for malaria in Karkasara Tarauni L.G.A., Kano State. The specific goal is to determine how much pregnant women know about intermittent preventive medication for malaria.

Method: This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional approach. Tarauni LGA, Kano State, pregnant women made up the study population. A pretested, structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. After being handed to the responders in the ward, the surveys were promptly picked up. IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software (SPSS) version 20 was used to analyze the data at the univariate, bivariate, and multivariate levels. Results: 347 of the 370 respondents who were contacted consented to be interviewed, yielding a 93.8% response rate. According to the survey, 60.81% of respondents were unaware that there is a medication to prevent malaria infection during pregnancy, whereas 39.19% of respondents were. Additionally, 3.7% of respondents had never heard of FANSIDER, compared to 96.3% who had. Furthermore, 61.7% of the respondents did not get a lesson on mIPTp during ANC visits, whereas 38.3% did.

Conclusion:

The study's conclusions showed that 72.0%, 39.2%, 96.3%, and 99.7% of pregnant women were aware that using an ANC, using medication to prevent malaria infection during pregnancy, and using FANSIDAR and LLITNs do prevent malaria during pregnancy, respectively.

The study also found that the expenses of Fansider and its adverse effects were not the main obstacles preventing pregnant women in the study area from using IPT-Sp.

Keywords:

Malaria, Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria (IPTp), Antenatal clinic (ANC) and FANSIDER

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