Evaluation of the use of preventive measures against malaria among children with severe malaria in three hospitals in Cameroon

Abstract

Introduction: Severe malaria is a preventable and curable disease. The aim of our study was to assess the use of malaria preventive measures among children with severe malaria.

Material and methods: This is an observational and descriptive study from 1 April to 30 September 2022 (6 months) in three hospitals in Cameroon. All children aged between 0 and 18 years admitted for severe malaria with at least one WHO malaria severity criterion were included. The variables studied were the age, the gender, the whereabouts of the patient, the use of preventive measures against malaria.

Results: A total of 328 children were included with a sex ratio of 1.36. Children under five years of age were the most numerous (74.69%) and the majority of patients came from home (46%). Preventive measures were not applied for 106 patients (32.3%). Among those who preventive measures were caaried out, 173 patients (52.7%) slept under insecticide-treated nets (ITN), 9 patients (2.7%) used insecticide and 1 patient (0.3%) used repellents. The quest for an association between the use of ITNs and having more than one severe malaria severity criterion was not statistically significant. The non-use of preventive measures was not significantly associated with patient death.

Conclusion: Despite the efforts made in the fight against malaria, the use of preventive methods such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets remains low.