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Factors Associated with Malaria Transmission: A Comparative Study of Munyumbwe and Sompani Rural Health Centres in Gwembe District - February 2020

Received: 21 October 2021     Accepted: 15 December 2021     Published: 21 June 2022
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Abstract

Background: Malaria remains a major public health problem in Zambia. Malaria hotspots pose a challenge to attaining malaria elimination by 2021. Identifying predictors of malaria in hotspots and geographically adjacent areas might reveal important information about how to achieve this goal. Munyumbwe and Sompani Rural Health Centres (RHCs) in Southern Province have been receiving the same intervention package since 2014, yet malaria incidence in 2019 were 6/1000 and 117/1000, respectively. This study aimed at investigating factors associated with malaria transmission in these two RHC catchment areas. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken at Munyumbwe and Sompani RHCs, where a pre-tested structured questionnaire was administered to 340 consenting participants tested for malaria during January-February 2020. Data collected included: age; education level; malaria knowledge; insecticide treated nets (ITN) possession and use; indoor residual spraying (IRS); travel history; index case follow-up; outdoor activities; and presence of stagnant water. Multiple logistic regression analysis was done using Stata. Results: At Sompani RHC, 50% (85/170) of participants had malaria during January-February 2020 compared to Munyumbwe with 5.9% (10/170). The study also showed that respondents from Munyumbwe RHC had 80% reduced chance of acquiring malaria compared to those from Sompani (AOR = 0.2; p = 0.001). Travelling outside the district was associated with malaria (AOR = 29.48; p < 0.0001) only at Sompani RHC. In both areas, participants who utilized ITNs had reduced odds of acquiring malaria than those who never utilized (AOR = 0.28 p = 0.04), (AOR=0.11 p = 0.006) at Munyumbwe and Sompani RHC respectively. Index case follow-up was lower in Sompani (6%) than Munyumbwe (90%) (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the ratio of Community Health workers to the catchment population for Munyumbwe and Sompani RHCs were 1:500 and 1:1250 respectively. Conclusion: Travelling outside the district was a unique predictor of malaria. Additionally, only a minority of index cases is followed up in Sompani, in contrast to Munyumbwe due to inadequate number of CHWs. Providing malaria prophylaxis to travelers, training CHWs and strengthening index case follow-up are potential strategies to control malaria in Sompani and Munyumbwe.

Published in Science, Technology & Public Policy (Volume 6, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.stpp.20220601.17
Page(s) 49-56
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Malaria, Malaria Transmission, Intervention Package, Vision

References
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[5] ZAMBIA. MINISTRY OF HEALTH, Malaria Indicator Survey. 2018.
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[8] Leder, K., et al., GeoSentinel surveillance of illness in returned travelers, 2007-2011. Ann Intern Med, 2013. 158 (6): p. 456-68.
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[18] Sturrock, H. J. W., et al., Targeting Asymptomatic Malaria Infections: Active Surveillance in Control and Elimination. PLOS Medicine, 2013. 10 (6): p. e1001467.
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    Martha Malasa, Lungowe Sitali, Nyambe Sinyange, Busiku Hamainza, Patrick Musonda. (2022). Factors Associated with Malaria Transmission: A Comparative Study of Munyumbwe and Sompani Rural Health Centres in Gwembe District - February 2020. Science, Technology & Public Policy, 6(1), 49-56. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.stpp.20220601.17

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    Martha Malasa; Lungowe Sitali; Nyambe Sinyange; Busiku Hamainza; Patrick Musonda. Factors Associated with Malaria Transmission: A Comparative Study of Munyumbwe and Sompani Rural Health Centres in Gwembe District - February 2020. Sci. Technol. Public Policy 2022, 6(1), 49-56. doi: 10.11648/j.stpp.20220601.17

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    AMA Style

    Martha Malasa, Lungowe Sitali, Nyambe Sinyange, Busiku Hamainza, Patrick Musonda. Factors Associated with Malaria Transmission: A Comparative Study of Munyumbwe and Sompani Rural Health Centres in Gwembe District - February 2020. Sci Technol Public Policy. 2022;6(1):49-56. doi: 10.11648/j.stpp.20220601.17

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  • @article{10.11648/j.stpp.20220601.17,
      author = {Martha Malasa and Lungowe Sitali and Nyambe Sinyange and Busiku Hamainza and Patrick Musonda},
      title = {Factors Associated with Malaria Transmission: A Comparative Study of Munyumbwe and Sompani Rural Health Centres in Gwembe District - February 2020},
      journal = {Science, Technology & Public Policy},
      volume = {6},
      number = {1},
      pages = {49-56},
      doi = {10.11648/j.stpp.20220601.17},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.stpp.20220601.17},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.stpp.20220601.17},
      abstract = {Background: Malaria remains a major public health problem in Zambia. Malaria hotspots pose a challenge to attaining malaria elimination by 2021. Identifying predictors of malaria in hotspots and geographically adjacent areas might reveal important information about how to achieve this goal. Munyumbwe and Sompani Rural Health Centres (RHCs) in Southern Province have been receiving the same intervention package since 2014, yet malaria incidence in 2019 were 6/1000 and 117/1000, respectively. This study aimed at investigating factors associated with malaria transmission in these two RHC catchment areas. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken at Munyumbwe and Sompani RHCs, where a pre-tested structured questionnaire was administered to 340 consenting participants tested for malaria during January-February 2020. Data collected included: age; education level; malaria knowledge; insecticide treated nets (ITN) possession and use; indoor residual spraying (IRS); travel history; index case follow-up; outdoor activities; and presence of stagnant water. Multiple logistic regression analysis was done using Stata. Results: At Sompani RHC, 50% (85/170) of participants had malaria during January-February 2020 compared to Munyumbwe with 5.9% (10/170). The study also showed that respondents from Munyumbwe RHC had 80% reduced chance of acquiring malaria compared to those from Sompani (AOR = 0.2; p = 0.001). Travelling outside the district was associated with malaria (AOR = 29.48; p < 0.0001) only at Sompani RHC. In both areas, participants who utilized ITNs had reduced odds of acquiring malaria than those who never utilized (AOR = 0.28 p = 0.04), (AOR=0.11 p = 0.006) at Munyumbwe and Sompani RHC respectively. Index case follow-up was lower in Sompani (6%) than Munyumbwe (90%) (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the ratio of Community Health workers to the catchment population for Munyumbwe and Sompani RHCs were 1:500 and 1:1250 respectively. Conclusion: Travelling outside the district was a unique predictor of malaria. Additionally, only a minority of index cases is followed up in Sompani, in contrast to Munyumbwe due to inadequate number of CHWs. Providing malaria prophylaxis to travelers, training CHWs and strengthening index case follow-up are potential strategies to control malaria in Sompani and Munyumbwe.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Factors Associated with Malaria Transmission: A Comparative Study of Munyumbwe and Sompani Rural Health Centres in Gwembe District - February 2020
    AU  - Martha Malasa
    AU  - Lungowe Sitali
    AU  - Nyambe Sinyange
    AU  - Busiku Hamainza
    AU  - Patrick Musonda
    Y1  - 2022/06/21
    PY  - 2022
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.stpp.20220601.17
    DO  - 10.11648/j.stpp.20220601.17
    T2  - Science, Technology & Public Policy
    JF  - Science, Technology & Public Policy
    JO  - Science, Technology & Public Policy
    SP  - 49
    EP  - 56
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2640-4621
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.stpp.20220601.17
    AB  - Background: Malaria remains a major public health problem in Zambia. Malaria hotspots pose a challenge to attaining malaria elimination by 2021. Identifying predictors of malaria in hotspots and geographically adjacent areas might reveal important information about how to achieve this goal. Munyumbwe and Sompani Rural Health Centres (RHCs) in Southern Province have been receiving the same intervention package since 2014, yet malaria incidence in 2019 were 6/1000 and 117/1000, respectively. This study aimed at investigating factors associated with malaria transmission in these two RHC catchment areas. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken at Munyumbwe and Sompani RHCs, where a pre-tested structured questionnaire was administered to 340 consenting participants tested for malaria during January-February 2020. Data collected included: age; education level; malaria knowledge; insecticide treated nets (ITN) possession and use; indoor residual spraying (IRS); travel history; index case follow-up; outdoor activities; and presence of stagnant water. Multiple logistic regression analysis was done using Stata. Results: At Sompani RHC, 50% (85/170) of participants had malaria during January-February 2020 compared to Munyumbwe with 5.9% (10/170). The study also showed that respondents from Munyumbwe RHC had 80% reduced chance of acquiring malaria compared to those from Sompani (AOR = 0.2; p = 0.001). Travelling outside the district was associated with malaria (AOR = 29.48; p < 0.0001) only at Sompani RHC. In both areas, participants who utilized ITNs had reduced odds of acquiring malaria than those who never utilized (AOR = 0.28 p = 0.04), (AOR=0.11 p = 0.006) at Munyumbwe and Sompani RHC respectively. Index case follow-up was lower in Sompani (6%) than Munyumbwe (90%) (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the ratio of Community Health workers to the catchment population for Munyumbwe and Sompani RHCs were 1:500 and 1:1250 respectively. Conclusion: Travelling outside the district was a unique predictor of malaria. Additionally, only a minority of index cases is followed up in Sompani, in contrast to Munyumbwe due to inadequate number of CHWs. Providing malaria prophylaxis to travelers, training CHWs and strengthening index case follow-up are potential strategies to control malaria in Sompani and Munyumbwe.
    VL  - 6
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

  • Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

  • Zambia National Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia

  • National Malaria Elimination Centre, Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia

  • Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

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