Basic HTML Version
Journal of Mosquito Research, 2013, Vol.3, No.6, 45
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53
ISSN 1927-646X
http://jmr.sophiapublisher.com
48
socio-demographic characteristics of the under-five
children, the ownership and utilization of the ITNs in
both the intervention and the control communities at
base line.
Four research assistants were recruited and trained for
one day on how to enumerate the houses and also to
later administer the questionnaires. The primary health
care numbers were a guide but since some new houses
were not previously numbered, we had to allocate new
numbers to all the houses. The research assistants
were taught to identify all houses in the selected wards
with children aged less than five years and number
them serially with chalk or marker pen and keep a
record of the number and head of the household with
them.
Two experienced Medical Laboratory scientists were
also recruited to carry out investigations on all the
participants using thin blood films stained with
Giemsa for malaria parasites to determine the
laboratory evidence of malaria, using sterile
equipment to obtain a drop of blood. Slides were
prepared in the field and labeled but stained and
examined later in the laboratory at Asokoro District
Hospital. They were to study and report on each slide
and wherever they do not agree on the findings; a third
experienced laboratory scientist will be invited to
study and report on the slide. The microscopes were
serviced and reagents were certified by the laboratory
scientist at Asokoro District Hospital before the study
began.
1.6.2 Intervention
The National Malaria control programme in
collaboration with the Public health department of the
Federal Capital Territory Administration (Roll Back
Malaria Unit) provided all the Insecticide Treated
Nets for this study. The Giemsa stain, glass slides,
sterile needles, cotton wool and other materials needed
for this study were provided by the researcher.
Only the mothers in the intervention group (Kuje)
received basic health information on malaria and its
prevention at this initial time. Using the local
languages of Gbagyi and Hausa as well as English,
health education messages were given along with a
drama presentation depicting the dangers of malaria in
children and a demonstration of how to mount the
ITNs at the selected nearby Primary Health Center.
This was followed by a question and answer session
where any doubts were clarified. Health education was
given by the researchers with the assistance of trained
health workers who work in the communities being
studied and understand the local languages.
All children who presented with a history of fever or
temperature of or greater than 37.5
℃
were treated
free with ACTs in both the intervention and control
group.
After the baseline data collection, free Long Lasting
Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) were distributed to all
mothers of under five children in the intervention
group. The importance of always using the Insecticide
Treated Nets was subsequently reinforced any time
mothers visited the clinic by the health workers and
the researcher.
1.6.3 Post intervention
After twenty weeks, data was again collected from
both the intervention and the control group using the
same instruments with blood specimens taken for MP
using the same procedure and examined by the same
laboratory scientists for comparison. After collecting
the post intervention data, the control group received
health education with a drama presentation depicting
the dangers of malaria in children and the importance
of the ITN in protecting them against malaria, just like
in the intervention group. The control group were then
provided with Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets and
shown how to mount them. The use of the nets was
thereafter reinforced by the health workers whenever
the mothers visited the PHCs.
1.7 Data analysis
Data collected were collated and analyzed using SPSS
version 16 statistical software and results presented
tables with significance of association tested with the
Chi square test. The level of significance was set at
95% (p≤ 0.05) for all statistical analysis.
1.8 Ethical consideration
Ethical Clearance was obtained from the Ethical