RESUMO
Malaria is a serious public health problem, yet preventable and treatable. The disease is one of the world’s highest rates of all cause of mortality for children under five, and about one in six children die before their fifth birthday. Hence, mothers of under-five and caregiver have a pivotal role to play in tackling this issue by improving their knowledge and skills concerning the treatment, prevention, and control using the appropriate approach. This study was carried out to assess knowledge, practices, and perception of malaria and its home management using Artemicinin-based Combined Therapy (ACT) in Yemetu community of Ibadan North Local Government. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey involving the use of Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) to facilitate the sampling and interview of respondents. This included recruiting all the mothers OriginalResearchArticle of under-five in Yemetu community who gave consent for the study. Four hundred (400) mothers of under-five in Yemetu community consented to participate in the study and were selected. A validated semi-structured questionnaire interviewed and self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection and respondents were assessed on a 62-points knowledge scale, 5-points practice scale, and 17-points perception scales. Knowledge score ≤21 were rated poor, scores ≥22≤42 fair and scores ≥43 were considered good. Practice score ≤3 was recorded as poor practice while scores ≥3 good practice. Perception scores ≤ 9 were considered unfavourable perception and scores ≥ 9 were considered favourable. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to analyze the data at 95% level of significance.Respondents’ mean age was 29.9 ± 7.0 years and the majority of them(91.1%) of them were Yoruba. The majority (91.0%) of them were married and (91.1%) were Yorubas. Only (23.0%) correctly identified plasmodium as a cause of malaria. The correctly mentioned signs and symptoms of simple malaria were; cold (89.3%), body ache(91.3%) and fever (88.5%). The fairly corrected home management practice steps include; Exposure of baby to fresh air, administration of paracetamol, and then provision of coartem (2.6%) and bathing the baby, use of paracetamol and administration of coartem (1.3%). Negative perception shown by the respondents includes: Only (15.0%) believed that malaria is a disease of the poor and preference of herbal medicine to medical medicine for treating children at home when they have malaria episode because it is cheaper (19.8%). Overall, (2.9%) had poor knowledge, the majority (87.3%) had a fair knowledge, and 9.8% had good knowledge. There are several gaps in the respondents’ knowledge relating to malaria and its management in under-five. Therefore, there is a need for peer education/training approach in this regard to upgrading mothers' knowledge and skills concerning the treatment, prevention, and control of malaria.