AWARENESS AND PERCEPTION OF PEOPLE ON THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF MALARIA AMONG INDIVIDUAL IN KACHI COMMUNITY, DUTSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, JIGAWA STATE.

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the awareness and perception of people on the causes and effects of malaria among individual in Kachi community, Dutse Local Government Area, Jigawa State. A total of ninety-six (96) respondents were selected through simple random and availability sampling techniques for questionnaire distribution. As such, the analysis was based on the returned 96 questionnaires. The study found that most of the respondents were aware of the factors responsible for malaria infection among individuals in Kachi community. It also found that, most of the respondents said that poor sanitation is the major factor responsible for malaria infection in individuals in Kachi community. In addition, the study found that, almost all the respondents are aware of the effects of malaria among individuals in the study area. Also, the study found that, most of the respondents said that disease infections are the major effects of malaria among individuals in the study area. Furthermore, the study shows that, most of the respondents are aware of the possible measures to address malaria infection among individuals in Kachi community. And finally, the generally concluded by recommending regular cleaning of environment to help address malaria infection in the study area.

CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1.1 Introduction

Malaria is one of the most severe global public health problems worldwide, particularly in Africa, where Nigeria has the greatest number of malaria cases. And this is contained in a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the year 2022 where it stated that, malaria transmission in Nigeria is abysmally high with over 76% of the population reporting more than 1 case per 1,000 populations annually (WHO, 2020). There was a less than 50% decrease in projected incidence of malaria from 2015–2019 (WHO, 2022). Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo account for more than 35% of the global total of estimated malaria deaths (WHO, 2019). Malaria is principally caused by protozoa (Plasmodium species) and is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito (Idowu, 2017). Within the tropics and sub-tropics, human malaria is seen to be the widest spread vector-borne disease (Ahmad et al., 2017). Available statistics have documented that malaria is highly endemic in Nigeria with over 90% of the populace at risk of infection (Fadei, 2018). It is the prime cause of 60% outpatient consultation for all age groups and at least half of the Nigerian populace is exposed to at least one bout of malaria attack every year (Mwangangi).

In another report by Chaturvedi (2016), Nigeria suffers the world’s greatest malaria burden, with approximately 51 million cases and 207,000 deaths reported annually (approximately 30 % of the total malaria burden in Africa), while 97 % of the total population (approximately 173 million) is at risk of infection. Moreover, malaria accounts for 60 % of outpatient visits to hospitals and led to approximately 11 % maternal mortality and 30 % child mortality, especially among children less than 5 years. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum, and the mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles funestus, Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles moucheti are the major vectors that cause year-round transmission; artemether-lumefantrine (AL) or artesunate + amodiaquine (AS + AQ) is the treatment regime adopted in 2004 [1, 7]. This devastating disease affects the country’s economic productivity, resulting in an estimated monetary loss of approximately 132 billion Naira (~700 million USD), in treatment costs, prevention, and other indirect costs (Fwa, 2017).

In Nigeria, the main diseases of the environment are diarrhoeal disease, lower respiratory infections, unintentional injuries, and malaria (Mwangangi, 2018). In children under the age of five, one third of all disease is caused by the environmental factors such as unsafe water and air pollution (WHO, 2019). The poor state of food sanitation in the country has been shown to play a significant role in the etiology of food borne diseases (UNICEF, 2018). One of the most significant diseases that arise from poor sanitation is diarrhea (Fwa, 2017). Deaths resulting from diarrhea are estimated to be between 1.6 and 2.5 million every year (Bellamy, 2017). However, of the essential public health care elements is provision of safe drinking water and sanitation (Mwangangi, 2018). However, deposition of faecal matter near homes, contamination of sources of drinking water (sometimes caused by poorly designed or maintained sewage system), dumping of refuse and sweeping into the gutters, defecating and disposing of faeces by the street corners and waterways and selling of food stuffs and cooked food by the road side are all unwholesome practices that pose potential risk to the development of diseases (Hook, 2018).

1.2 Statement of Problem

Malaria is one of the most vulnerable, widespread, life-threatening infectious diseases that cause millions of deaths across the globe (WHO, 2022, 2016). The disease malaria not only affects the population in an area, but also disposes significant loss to the national economy and financial condition. Thus, poor sanitation is a major cause of disease such as malaria world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities (Idowu, 2017). The word sanitation also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions through services such as garbage collection and waste-water disposal (WHO, 2021). The essential components of environmental sanitation include: solid waste management; medical waste management; excreta and sewage management; food sanitation; sanitary inspection of premises; market and abattoir sanitation; adequate potable water supply; school sanitation; pest and vector control; management of urban drainage; control of reared and stray animals; disposal of the dead animals; weed and vegetation control; hygiene education and promotion (Mwangangi, 2018).

In Kachi community of Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State, adequate environmental sanitation has not been strictly adhered to. For instance, in many parts of Nigeria, living with waste as part of the natural environment has become a way of life (Abubakar, 2017). Although there has been a remarkable improvement from what it used to be in the late eighties/early nineties, there is still much to be done. This therefore geared my interest towards carrying out this study so as to examine the awareness and perception of people on the causes and effects of malaria among individual in Kachi community, Dutse Local Government Area, Jigawa State.

1.3 Justification

The justification for conducting this research is to create awareness and sensitization on the impact of environmental sanitation in the control and prevention of malaria. Also, the study will aid the relevant stakeholders such as the government, health workers and the general community by way of highlighting various environmental sanitation that will help address malaria.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Research

The aim of conducting this study is to examine the effectiveness of the environmental sanitation in the control and prevention of malaria in Dutse Metropolis. As such, the specific objectives of this research are:

1.      To examine the extent to which the inhabitants of Dutse control and manage of waste.  

2.      To identify the rate of malaria infection among inhabitants of the study area.

3.      To find out the effectiveness of these environmental sanitation measures in the control and prevention of malaria.

4.      To examine the effect of environmental sanitation on the spread of malaria among inhabitance of Dutse metropolis.

1.5 Scope and Limitation of the Study

This research will be limited to the study of the effectiveness of environmental sanitation in the control and prevention of malaria in Dutse Metropolis due to time and financial constraints.

1.6 Definition of Terms

Causes: refers to certain factors that held responsible for malaria.

Community: refers to a group of living in the same place and usually having particular characteristics in common.

Control: refers to various measures to manage the incidents of malaria.

Environment: refers to geographical location or boundary that individuals live.

Malaria: refers to as an intermittent and remittent fever caused by a protozoan parasite which invades the red blood cells and is transmitted in mosquitoes in many tropical and subtropical regions

Parasite: refers to those micro-organisms that belong to genus plasmodium.

Perception: refers to certain opinion on the causes, effects and possible solutions to malaria infection among individuals.

Plasmodium: refers to a parasitic protozoan of a genus which includes those causing malaria.

Prevention: refers to various measures to deter malaria incidents from occurring.

Signs: refers to certain indications that shows the incidents of malaria.

Species: refers to a group of living organisms that can produce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring.

Symptoms: refers to certain manifestation of disease apparent to the patient.

Transmission: refers to the infection of malaria.

Buyers has the right to create dispute within seven (7) days of purchase for 100% refund request when you experience issue with the file received. 

Dispute can only be created when you receive a corrupt file, a wrong file or irregularities in the table of contents and content of the file you received. 

ProjectShelve.com shall either provide the appropriate file within 48hrs or send refund excluding your bank transaction charges. Term and Conditions are applied.

Buyers are expected to confirm that the material you are paying for is available on our website ProjectShelve.com and you have selected the right material, you have also gone through the preliminary pages and it interests you before payment. DO NOT MAKE BANK PAYMENT IF YOUR TOPIC IS NOT ON THE WEBSITE.

In case of payment for a material not available on ProjectShelve.com, the management of ProjectShelve.com has the right to keep your money until you send a topic that is available on our website within 48 hours.

You cannot change topic after receiving material of the topic you ordered and paid for.