What are the Reasons behind the Inconsistent Use of Insecticide Treated Bed Nets in South-Eastern Nigeria? A Qualitative Study (Published)
Insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) have been shown to effectively protect against malaria when used appropriately. Armed with this information donation have been made and structures to ensure easy access to ITNs have been put in place across Nigeria. Nonetheless, data shows that the ITNs are not being used reliably. This paper seeks to share findings from a qualitative study designed to unpack the reasons why Nigerians from the southeastern region of the country chose not to use ITNs consistently despite having one. In total 7 Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) were conducted with participants purposively selected. About 37 participants were selected for the In-Depth Interviews (IDI). An inductive methodology was employed during the analysis. Reasons for inconsistent use of ITNs were identified at the personal and external levels. At the personal level, perceived risk of the disease, ITNs, perceived usefulness of the ITN, knowledge, acceptance, perception of older ITNs, and ITN use based on climatic seasons were identified as impediments to bed net use. At the external level, house structure and arrangement, insufficient amount of ITNs per home, and non-use due to spousal influence were reported as main barriers to consistent ITN use. Although most participants did not lack knowledge about malaria and ITNs use, inconsistent use of the ITN still occurred. This underpins the fact that people’s attitude to consistent ITN use may be driven by their perceived lack of fear for the disease as a result of day-to-day experience with the disease. To address this challenge, there is a need to combine a behavior change intervention with other interventions where appropriate in a bid to deal with the drivers of inconsistent ITN use and the persistent malaria challenge as a whole. As the reasons for inconsistent use of the ITN traverses both the personal and external levels, there is also a need for a multi-level intervention that not only targets beliefs and skills to motivate ITN use in the at-risk population but also decision-makers in the communities where people live to implement measures that mitigate identified external factors that hinder ITN use.
Keywords: Malaria, Perception, inconsistent use, insecticide-treated bed nets
Knowledge, Attitude and Perceptions on Infection Prevention and Control among Primary Healthcare Workers in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State: A cross sectional study (Published)
Exposure to infectious diseases is one of the most frequently identified occupational hazards facing healthcare workers. This study was aimed at determining the knowledge, attitude and perceptions regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) among primary healthcare workers in Calabar municipality. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted using a structured questionnaire to elicit information from 359 healthcare workers drawn from 9 primary healthcare facilities. All data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 25. The results indicate that 62.7% of the respondents had heard about IPC. The Major source of information was training (61.8%). Majority (72.4%) of the respondents knew that hand hygiene is highly effective in preventing Hospital acquired Infections (HAIs). Among the respondents, 80.2% knew that hand washing should be done before and after contacts with patient, 84.12%, knew that changing gloves while working with different patients reduce the risk of infection transmission, however, only 22.56% knew that chemical sterilization technique cannot be used for all equipment. Summarily, 64.3% of the respondents had good level of knowledge. Majority of the respondents (88.3%) were found to have positive attitude regarding IPC, and 81.6% had good perceptions towards infection prevention and control. Though majority of the healthcare workers were found to have high knowledge levels, positive attitude and good perceptions regarding IPC, there is still need for primary healthcare facility leadership to organize regular training to further improve on healthcare workers’ knowledge on IPC.
Keywords: Knowledge, Perception, attitude, infection prevention and control, primary healthcare