Long-lasting Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Nets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among households in Bonzola Health Zone in Mbuji-Mayi.
Abstract Malaria is the most widespread parasitic disease in the world. It is a major risk of morbidity and mortality for more than two billion human beings worldwide. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it is one of the three leading causes of death among the most vulnerable groups - children under five and pregnant women. The impregnated mosquito net is currently one of the best ways to prevent malaria.The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of households related to the use of long-lasting insecticide-treated net in Bonzola Health Zone in the City of Mbuji-Mayi .This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted with 360 households. Our statistical unit was the household. The interview technique was used to collect data that were encoded, processed and analyzed using Excel 2007 software. In our statistical analyses, we used the calculation of frequencies, mean, standard deviation and proportions. The Chi-square test was used for association research.Overall, 93.83% of respondents have a good knowledge of the long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLITN) and its benefits, 96.94% have a positive attitude towards its use and only 61.39% have good practices. The LLITN use rate the night before the survey is 90.28% and the availability rate of LLITNs in households is estimated at 94.44%.Certain factors limit the effective use of LLINs by households. Although population knowledge and attitude are good enough, the utilization of LLITNs did not much progress comparing to the proportion of pregnant women sleeping under an ITN (60%) revealed in the 2013 MICS-DRC Report.These results reflect what the last free distribution of LLITNs carried out in August 2015 by the Government (through the National Malaria Control Programme, in partnership with ASF/PSI) has largely produced as impact to the beneficiary population.