Awareness of insecticide treated bed nets among mothers and use among children that attend maternal child health (MCH) clinic in Butere District Hospital, Kenya.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Malaria kills 3000 children each day in Sub-Saharan Africa". Promotion of ITNs is not only an important aspect in control of malaria among the general public but more so among children aged five years and below. The immediate concern of any successful ITNs promotion efforts is increased use and access to the relevant ITNs information. Maternal child health clinics are the ideal places to meet and sensitize all the mothers with children under five years on the use of insecticide-treated nets in the prevention of malaria. OBJECTIVE: The study was to determine the proportion of mothers aware of ITNs and use among children under five years who attend Butere District Hospital maternal child health (MCH) clinic. The findings will enable the hospital management to take evidence based administrative measures to increase use and. access to ITNs information by children aged five years and below and mothers who attend MCH clinic respectively. METHOD: This was a Cross-sectional descriptive study involving use of partially closed-ended structured interviewer administered questionnaires. 143 study participants were drawn for exit interviews from the population of mothers bringing their children to Butere District Hospital MCH clinic for either child health clinic or treatment. Data collected was analyzed in Stata for proportions of awareness and use of ITNs and participant characteristics. RESULTS: 93.48% of participants interviewed at the MCH clinic were aware of ITNs and the participants affirmed 71.01 % of their children used ITNs. Of the 28.99% children that did not use ITNs, over half (52.50%) did not due to lack of money (Ksh.50 per net) and (32.50%) due to lack of information on ITNs. 7.50%, 5%, and 2.5% was due to failure to carry ITNs during travel upcountry, inability to deploy ITNs due to lack of space in the house and no reason at all respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Awareness of TTNs among mothers and use among under five attending MCH clinic at Butere District Hospital though fairly high, can be increased much more if sustained ITNs education and support in form of ITNs are given at the clinic.