ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The single most significant cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and other third world countries is the poor standard of environmental sanitation.This factor plays a major role in disease transmission especially for endemic diseases such as malaria. This study was therefore designed to assess the influence of environmental sanitation on prevalence of Malaria in a rural town in South-Western Nigeria. METHODS: This was an analytical cross-sectional study. A multi stage cluster sampling technique was used to select the participants into the study. One participant per each household was selected into the study. A semistructured questionnaire was used to collect relevant information. RESULT: A total of 300 households were recruited into the study. Only 14 [4.7%] were regularly involved in daily cleaning of the environment outside their houses and 286 [95.3%] were aware that dirty environment increases the risk of contracting malaria. Majority 178 [62.2%] believe that bushes around the house are major facilitators of malaria. 32 [11.2%] mentioned presence of stagnant water while 76 [26.6%] mentioned unclean drainage system. The prevalence of Malaria attack in the last 6 months among respondents was 192 (64.0 %). Regular cleaning of respondent's environment outside their houses was statistically significant associated with prevalence of Malaria in the households studied [OR = 1.88, CI = 2.61-54.13] while the knowledge of environmental impact on malaria [OR = 1.37, Cl = 0.92-2.05] and malaria transmission [OR = 0.70, CI = 0.43-1.12] were not statistically significandy associated with prevalence of malaria. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that regular cleaning of house surroundings was associated with prevalence of malaria infection in rural areas in Nigeria. Sustainable control and elimination of malaria cannot occur in isolation from other sector of the society most especially the environmental health and engineering services.
