Barriers to prompt malaria treatment among under five children in Mpika District

Abstract

Background: Prompt malaria treatment is a key malaria control strategy in Zambia, which has helped to reduce the incidence of malaria and consequently, reduce the infant mortality rate. However, studies done in Zambia show that as low as 19% of children under five years of age are accessing prompt malaria treatment at health facilities. The barriers to this important malaria control strategy need to be established. Therefore, this study aimed at determining barriers to prompt malaria treatment among this vulnerable age group in Mpika district.
Objective: To determine the barriers to prompt malaria treatment among children under five years of age with malaria in Mpika district. Study design: This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in Mpika district of Zambia at eight Rural Health Centres. The study had a sample size of 380 caretakers of under 5 children with confirmed malaria infection; and exit interviews used to collect the data.
Results: The study found that out of the total sample size of 380 participants, only 13.9% of children diagnosed with malaria received prompt malaria treatment. The following were barriers identified to prompt malaria treatment; caregivers residing at a distance of more than five kilometres to the health facility (OR 2.09 95%CI: 1.03 – 4.22 P = 0.041, inadequate household income (OR 2.89 95%CI: 1.18 – 4.39 P = 0.001), self-treatment of children at home with antipyretics prior to seeking care (OR 1.83 95%CI: 1.28 – 3.26 P = 0.018 and lack of community health education (IEC) (OR 2.14 95%CI: 1.10 – 4.13 P = 0.024.
Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the factors that negatively influence access to prompt malaria treatment in a rural setting of Zambia. It underscores the need to formulate and implement interventions aimed at fostering appropriate health seeking behaviours that are setting-specific among caretakers of under five children through community health education. There is also need to address the socioeconomic constraints, both at household and health facility level that hinder access to early and effective malaria treatment in children.