scholarly journals Malaria prevalence and long-lasting insecticidal net use in rural western Uganda: results of a cross-sectional survey conducted in an area of highly variable malaria transmission intensity

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire M. Cote ◽  
Varun Goel ◽  
Rabbison Muhindo ◽  
Emmanuel Baguma ◽  
Moses Ntaro ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) remain a cornerstone of malaria control, but strategies to sustain universal coverage and high rates of use are not well-defined. A more complete understanding of context-specific factors, including transmission intensity and access to health facilities, may inform sub-district distribution approaches and tailored messaging campaigns. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 2190 households was conducted in a single sub-county of western Uganda that experiences highly variable malaria transmission intensity. The survey was carried out approximately 3 years after the most recent mass distribution campaign. At each household, study staff documented reported LLIN use and source among children 2 to 10 years of age and performed a malaria rapid diagnostic test. Elevation and distance to the nearest health facility was estimated for each household. Associations between parasite prevalence and LLIN use were estimated from log binomial regression models with elevation and distance to clinic being the primary variables of interest. Results Overall, 6.8% (148 of 2170) of children age 2–10 years of age had a positive RDT result, yielding a weighted estimate of 5.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.4–6.2%). There was substantial variability in the positivity rates among villages, with the highest elevation villages having lower prevalence than lowest-elevation villages (p < .001). Only 64.7% (95% CI 64.0–65.5%) of children were reported to have slept under a LLIN the previous night. Compared to those living < 1 km from a health centre, households at ≥ 2 km were less likely to report the child sleeping under a LLIN (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.83–0.89, p < .001). Households located farther from a health centre received a higher proportion of LLINs from government distributions compared to households living closer to health centres. Conclusions LLIN use and sourcing was correlated with household elevation and estimated distance to the nearest health facility. The findings suggest that current facility-based distribution strategies are limited in their reach. More frequent mass distribution campaigns and complementary approaches are likely required to maintain universal LLIN coverage and high rates of use among children in rural Uganda.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Cote ◽  
Varun Goel ◽  
Rabbison Muhindo ◽  
Emmanuel Baguma ◽  
Moses Ntaro ◽  
...  

Background: Long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) remain a cornerstone of malaria control, but optimal distribution strategies to sustain universal coverage are not well defined Methods: We conducted a cross sectional survey of 2,190 households in the highlands of western Uganda to examine LLIN source and use among children age with elevation and distance to clinic being the primary variables of interest. Results: We found that only 64.7% (95% CI 64.0 to 65.5%) of children were reported to have slept under a LLIN the previous night. Compared to those living <1 km from a health center, households at ≥ 2 km were less likely to report the child sleeping under a LLIN (RR 0.86, 95% CI: 0.83 to 0.89, p<.001). Households located farther from a health center received a higher proportion of nets from government distributions compared to households living closer to health centers. Conclusions: Continuous, clinic based distribution efforts were insufficient to sustain high rates of LLIN use among children between mass distribution campaigns. More frequent campaigns and complementary approaches are required to achieve and maintain universal LLIN coverage in rural areas.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Miller ◽  
Palka Patel ◽  
Sara Mian-McCarthy ◽  
Andrew Christopher Wesuta ◽  
Michael Matte ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In some areas of Uganda, village health workers (VHW) deliver Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) care, providing initial assessment of children under 5 years of age as well as protocol-based treatment of malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea for eligible patients. Little is known about community perspectives on or satisfaction with iCCM care. This study examines usage of and satisfaction with iCCM care as well as potential associations between these outcomes and time required to travel to the household’s preferred health facility. Methods A cross-sectional household survey was administered in a rural subcounty in western Uganda during December 2016, using a stratified random sampling approach in villages where iCCM care was available. Households were eligible if the household contained one or more children under 5 years of age. Results A total of 271 households across 8 villages were included in the final sample. Of these, 39% reported that it took over an hour to reach their preferred health facility, and 73% reported walking to the health facility; 92% stated they had seen a VHW for iCCM care in the past, and 55% had seen a VHW in the month prior to the survey. Of respondents whose households had sought iCCM care, 60% rated their overall experience as “very good” or “excellent,” 97% stated they would seek iCCM care in the future, and 92% stated they were “confident” or “very confident” in the VHW’s overall abilities. Longer travel time to the household’s preferred health facility did not appear to be associated with higher propensity to seek iCCM care or higher overall satisfaction with iCCM care. Conclusions In this setting, community usage of and satisfaction with iCCM care for malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea appears high overall. Ease of access to facility-based care did not appear to impact the choice to access iCCM care or satisfaction with iCCM care.


2010 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 618-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilboudo-Sanogo Edith ◽  
Tiono B. Alfred ◽  
Sagnon N′falé ◽  
Cuzin Ouattara Nadine ◽  
Nébié Issa ◽  
...  

Abstract To determine the relationship between malaria transmission intensity, clinical malaria, immune response, plasmodic index, and to furthermore characterize a malaria vaccine trial site for potential malaria vaccines candidate testing, a study was conducted in Tensobtenga and Balonguen, two villages in Burkina Faso characterized by different malaria transmission levels. The study villages are located in a Sudan savanna area. Malaria transmission is seasonal and peaks in September in these villages. Tensobtenga and Balonguen are comparables in all aspects, except the presence of an artificial lake and wetlands in Tensobtenga. The mosquitoes sampling sites were randomly selected, taking into consideration the number of potential breeding sites, and the number of households in each village. Three times a week during 12 mo mosquitoes were collected by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention light traps in sentinel sites. To assess the infectivity the mosquitoes double ELISAs tests were performed on thoraces of female Anopheles gambiae s.l. (Giles) and Anopheles funestus. A total of 54,392 female Anopheles, representing 92.71% of the total mosquitoes, were collected. The peaks of aggressiveness because of either An. gambiae s.l. or An. funestus were observed in September in each of the villages. However, these peaks were lower in Balonguen compared with Tensobtenga. Malaria cumulative aggressiveness and transmission intensity because of both species peaked in September in each of the two villages, with lower values in Balonguen in comparison to Tensobtenga. From February to May, malaria transmission intensity is negligible in Balonguen and &lt;1 bite/person/mo is observed in Tensobtenga. These results have confirmed the marked seasonality of malaria transmission in the study area.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 136
Author(s):  
Tony I. Isebe ◽  
Joel L. Bargul ◽  
Bonface M. Gichuki ◽  
James M. Njunge ◽  
James Tuju ◽  
...  

Background: Plasmodium falciparum causes the deadliest form of malaria in humans. Upon infection, the host’s infected red blood cells (iRBCs) are remodelled by exported parasite proteins in order to provide a niche for parasite development and maturation. Methods: Here we analysed the role of three PHISTb proteins Pf3D7_0532400, Pf3D7_1401600, and Pf3D7_1102500 by expressing recombinant proteins and evaluated antibody responses against these proteins using immune sera from malaria-exposed individuals from Kenya and The Gambia in Africa. Results: Our findings show that children and adults from malaria-endemic regions recognized the three PHISTb proteins. Responses against the PHISTb proteins varied with malaria transmission intensity in three different geographical sites in Kenya (Siaya and Takaungu) and The Gambia (Sukuta). Antibody responses against PHISTb antigens Pf3D7_1102500 and Pf3D7_1401600 were higher in Sukuta, a low transmission region in the Gambia, as compared to Siaya, a high transmission region in western Kenya, unlike Pf3D7_0532400. Anti-PHIST responses show a negative correlation between antibody levels and malaria transmission intensity for two PHIST antigens, Pf3D7_1102500 and Pf3D7_1401600. However, we report a correlation in antibody responses between schizont extract and Pf3D7_0532400 (p=0.00582). Acquisition of anti-PHIST antibodies was correlated with exposure to malaria for PHISTb protein Pf3D7_0532400 (p=0.009) but not the other PHIST antigens Pf3D7_1102500 and Pf3D7_1401600 (p=0.507 and p=0.15, respectively, CI=95%). Children aged below 2 years had the lowest antibody levels, but the responses do not correlate with age differences. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings provide evidence of natural immunity against PHISTb antigens that varies with level of malaria exposure and underscore potential for these parasite antigens as possible serological markers to P. falciparum infection aimed at contributing to malaria control through vaccine development.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Ni Made Ari Febriyanti ◽  
Dinar Lubis ◽  
Dewa Nyoman Wirawan ◽  
Ni Luh Putu Suariyani ◽  
Mangku Karmaya

AbstractBackground and purpose: Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in females, followed by colorectal cancer. Early detection of breast cancer can be done through breast self-examination (BSE). BSE behaviour is influenced by an individual’s level of knowledge and perceptions of the procedure. This study examines the determinants of BSE behaviour in married women aged 15-49 in six villages in the working area of Puskesmas (public health centre) II in West Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was employed with 180 respondents selected by multistage random sampling. Data were collected using standardised questionnaire carried out from November-December 2016. Multiple poisson regression was used to identify the determinants of the BSE behaviours.Results: The proportion of respondents who performed BSE in the three months prior to interview is 55.6%, and, of these, 50.0% reported performing BSE regularly. Multivariate analysis shows the significant determinants of BSE are: high-school and above (APR= 2.03; 95%CI:1.41 to 2.92); having a good knowledge of BSE (APR=1.41; 95%CI:1.09 to 1.82); perceived benefits  (APR=2, 24; 95%CI:1.53-3.29); perceived low barrier (APR=1.63; 95%CI:1.16-2.29); and high self-efficacy (APR=1.50;95%CI:1.16-1.95).Conclusions: Level of education, good knowledge of BSE, perceived benefits, perceived low barriers, and high level of self-efficacy are the significant determinants of BSE practice. These findings suggest that education on BSE should be enhanced, particularly for women with lower levels of education.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Tukwasibwe ◽  
James A. Traherne ◽  
Olympe Chazara ◽  
Jyothi Jayaraman ◽  
John Trowsdale ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Malaria is one of the most serious infectious diseases in the world. The malaria burden is greatly affected by human immunity, and immune responses vary between populations. Genetic diversity in KIR and HLA-C genes, which are important in immunity to infectious diseases, is likely to play a role in this heterogeneity. Several studies have shown that KIR and HLA-C genes influence the immune response to viral infections, but few studies have examined the role of KIR and HLA-C in malaria infection, and these have used low-resolution genotyping. The aim of this study was to determine whether genetic variation in KIR and their HLA-C ligands differ in Ugandan populations with historically varied malaria transmission intensity using more comprehensive genotyping approaches.Methods: High throughput multiplex quantitative real-time PCR method was used to genotype KIR genetic variants and copy number variation and a high-throughput real-time PCR method was developed to genotype HLA-C1 and C2 allotypes for 1,344 participants, aged 6 months to 10 years, enrolled from Ugandan populations with historically high (Tororo District), medium (Jinja District) and low (Kanungu District) malaria transmission intensity. Results: The prevalence of KIR3DS1, KIR2DL5, KIR2DS5 and KIR2DS1 genes was significantly lower in populations from Kanungu compared to Tororo (7.6% vs. 13.2%: p=0.006, 57.2% vs. 66.4%: p=0.005, 33.2% vs. 46.6%: p<0.001 and 19.7% vs. 26.7%: p=0.014 respectively) or Jinja (7.6% vs.18.1%: p<0.001, 57.2% vs. 63.8%: p=0.048, 33.2% vs. 43.5%: p=0.002 and 19.7% vs. 30.4%: p<0.001 respectively). The prevalence of homozygous HLA-C2 was significantly higher in populations from Kanungu (31.6%) compared to Jinja (21.4%), p=0.043, with no significant difference between Kanungu and Tororo (26.7%), p=0.296. Conclusions: The KIR3DS1, KIR2DL5, KIR2DS5 and KIR2DS1 genes may partly explain differences in transmission intensity of malaria since these genes have been positively selected for in places with historically high malaria transmission intensity. The high-throughput multiplex real-time HLA-C genotyping PCR method developed will be useful in disease association studies involving large cohorts.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Angella Nakimera

Abstract Background: A study was carried out to identify the factors influencing the utilization of ultrasound scan services among pregnant mothers at Ndejje Health Centre IV, Wakiso District. Methodology: The study design was descriptive and cross-sectional and it employed both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. A sample size of 30 respondents was selected using a simple random sampling procedure. An interview guide was used to collect data. Results: The study revealed various factors influencing the utilization of ultrasound scan services among pregnant mothers. For example, although all 30 (100%) had ever heard about ultrasound scan services, most 20 (66.7%) had ever used ultrasound scan services once 10 (50%) and 12 (60%) used the services in the 3rd trimester due to factors including 20 (66.7%) of ultrasound scan services, 21 (70%) having fears about using ultrasound scan services including 14 (66.7%) fear that the scan would identify bad conditions on the baby, 18 (60%) lacked partner support. The study results also revealed that respondents faced various health facility factors which influenced the utilization of ultrasound scan services. For example, most 20 (66.7%) respondents reported that Ndejje Health Centre IV was not equipped to provide ultrasound scan services due to 12 (60%) frequent breakdown and poor maintenance of equipment which led to 18 (60%) ultrasound scan services not being readily available, 12 (60%) long waiting time to receive services as most waited more than 2 hours to receive services. Conclusion and recommendations: Respondents faced various and health facility-related factors which influenced their utilization of ultrasound scan services. The key recommendations included ready availability of services through regular and timely maintenance of equipment, improving efficiency, and reducing waiting time as well as improved health education of mothers about the importance of using the services.


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