TITLE:
The Impact of Malaria Control Interventions on Malaria and Anaemia in Children under Five after Ten Years of Implementation in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana
AUTHORS:
Margaret Kweku, Eric Kwaku Appiah, Yeetey Enuameh, Martin Adjuik, Wisdom Takramah, Elvis Tarkang, John Gyapong
KEYWORDS:
Malaria, Anaemia, Long Lasting Insecticide Treated BedNets, Children under Five Years, Hohoe Municipality, Ghana
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.7 No.3,
September
20,
2017
ABSTRACT: Background: Malaria remains a dominant health issue among children in Ghana. We monitored the trend of long lasting insecticide net (LLIN) ownership and use and its impact on malaria and anaemia among children under five over the past decade in an area of intense, prolonged and seasonal malaria transmission. Methods: A total of 1717, 2155 and 1915 children were surveyed in June and 1717, 2155 and 1697 in November in 30 communities of the Hohoe Municipality in 2006, 2010 and 2015 respectively. The primary outcomes monitored were the trend of LLIN ownership, use and prevalence of malaria and anaemia through cross-sectional surveys. Findings: Results showed a significantly positive trend (p Interpretation: Ownership of LLIN and its use together with other indicators of malaria prevalence generally improved five years after the implementation of a malaria control programme. Ten years after programme implementation, consistent improvement was only in LLIN ownership and use. Also malaria prevalence indicators improved in the post as compared to the pre-rainy season in the study communities.