Situation of Malaria in Relation to Socio-Behavioural Aspect in Daijee Vdc of Kanchanpur District of Nepal

Abstract

Thestudy was conducted in 3 different wards of Daijee VDC of Kanchanpur district. Ahousehold survey was carried to determine people’s knowledge, attitudes, and practicesregarding malaria by means of structured questionnaire and to determine the diseaseprevalence by microscopic examination in Daijee VDC which lies in terai belt of Far-westernregion. Altogether 260 slides were collected out of which 16 were positive casesfor malaria.One wasP. falciparumcase while the rest wereP. vivaxcases.The slideswere collected in thesummer season from (May to September 2006). A history of fever alone was not seen as agood indicator of parasitaemia. TheSlide Positivity Rate(SPR)among thestudied populationwas 6.15%. The mix infection of P. vivaxandP. falciparimwas not found. The infection wasprevalent among all age groupsand the rate of infection was higher in males than in females.The difference in disease prevalence in three wards was insignificant (P>0.05).The threestudied wards had no statistically difference in awareness of malaria and literacy rate(P>0.05),but had statistically difference inthe knowledgeof malariatransmission andvector,bed-net use and awareness brought by different agencies (P<0.05). Treatment based onpeople’s self-diagnosis without blood result and discontinuation of medication when gettingbetter is common. The highest positive cases were concentrated in ward 6 (9cases) followedby ward 3 (5cases) and ward 2 (2cases). Only oneP. falciparumis reportedand that was fromward 6. Duringthe last three years theP. falciparummalariawas reported from Daijee VDCi.e. 5, 20 and 7cases in the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 respectively. Strengthening the labfacilities to health institutions, sprayingmalariaproblemareaas well as nearby area, providingrefresher training to technicians, conducting people awareness programme and need ofserology-based testing of malaria for epidemiological studies are recommended.