Communication in health: an evaluation of malaria communication strategies in Nyamira district

Abstract

Malaria is one of the most devastating diseases in Africa, and the World Health Organisation estimates that there are 396 million episodes of malaria every year. The deaths of Malaria are used as an indicator of the problem of Malaria. Malaria is a function of a large number of things, there is the Biology of transmission and infection and control. There are environmental issues, there are communication issues and issues of drug resistance. The project looked at communication strategies in use in Nyamira District in Kenya. This District is one of the epidemic prone districts. The objective of the study were to find out the key communication strategies in use, find out how the medical personnel disseminate the information to the intended audience, the communication channels and vehicles used and their rating by the audience. The justification is that Malaria and poverty are kind of one and the same. The best communication approaches can help the district and the country at large to realize poverty alleviation goals. This is because when dealing with the Malaria crisis there is reduction in amount of money available for investment. The study was done using questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and exit interviews. The results indicated that more needs to be done in terms of channels and vehicles used in the Malaria campaign in Nyamira. The strategies should move beyond mere production of messages. Community participation will also be crucial. Community participation is an issue not much talked about. But when Malaria occurs in the village the people want to know something to do now, and it is not what has been discovered somewhere else it is about an action they can take today.