Alertness regarding malaria in rural community of Vadodara.

Parekh, Alok; Parekh, Malay; Vadasmiya, Divyeshkumar; Kumar, Arvind

Background:

Malaria remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, despite decades of malaria control efforts. Aims &

Objective:

This study looked into the local community understanding of malaria treatment-seeking patterns, preventive measures and practices in rural area of Vadodara. Material and

Methods:

A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out in rural area of Vadodara. A structured questionnaire was administered to 168 randomly selected households. Only one adult person was interviewed per household. The interviewees were the heads of households and in the absence of the heads of households responsible adults above 18 years were interviewed.

Results:

A substantial number of research participants showed reasonable information of malaria, including correct association between malaria and mosquito bites, its potential fatal consequences and proper treatment practices. 84.1% (n = 168) of the respondents considered that they consult treatment within 24 hours of onset of malaria symptoms, with health facilities as their first treatment option.

Conclusion:

Despite fair knowledge of malaria in rural area of Vadodara, there is a need for improving the availability of information through the preferred community channels as well as professional health routes.

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