Community effectiveness of artemisinin-based combination therapy for malaria in rural southwestern Nigeria

Int Q Community Health Educ. 2008;29(1):45-56. doi: 10.2190/IQ.29.1.d.

Abstract

A descriptive cross sectional survey using an interviewer-administered questionnaire was carried out among 700 caregivers whose children had fever during the previous two weeks. The aim was to determine the community effectiveness of malaria treatment using arthemeter-lumefantrine (AL) among under-5-year-olds in a rural community in southwestern Nigeria. A total of 353 (50.9%) children received AL. About half of these children (49%) were said to have been treated within 24 hours of onset of symptoms; 44% took the drug for the stipulated period of time; 42% received the correct dosage; and only 4% received all the treatment steps. With a drug efficacy of 100%, AL achieved a community effectiveness of 4%. The greatest effort in the home management of malaria strategy should be in reducing delay in treatment and improving dosage and duration of treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Infective Agents / administration & dosage
  • Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antimalarials / administration & dosage
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use
  • Artemisinins / administration & dosage
  • Artemisinins / therapeutic use*
  • Caregivers
  • Child, Preschool
  • Community Networks
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Ethanolamines / administration & dosage
  • Ethanolamines / therapeutic use
  • Fluorenes / administration & dosage
  • Fluorenes / therapeutic use
  • Health Services Accessibility
  • Humans
  • Lumefantrine
  • Malaria / drug therapy*
  • Nigeria
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care*
  • Rural Population
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Antimalarials
  • Artemisinins
  • Ethanolamines
  • Fluorenes
  • artemisinin
  • Lumefantrine