Onyeneho Nkechi G
Department of Sociology/Anthropology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
J Health Popul Nutr. 2013 Jun;31(2):243-51. doi: 10.3329/jhpn.v31i2.16389.
Malaria remains a public-health concern in Nigeria despite huge global investments in the production and distribution of insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) to protect people from Plasmodium falciparum parasite. Information on the use of ITNs is needed for designing strategies for its effective use. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in communities from 3 geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The people had poor knowledge of malaria and mosquito bites, which resulted in wrong perception and misuse of the nets as door and window blinds to "protect entire household" since only two nets were given per household. The use of community structures (traditional leaders/village heads, youths, churches, and mosques) was suggested to ensure effective distribution of nets, sensitize, and monitor net-use in the communities. Health education would dispel misconceptions that ITNs could kill, curtail human fertility, and that local gin (Kai-Kai) would induce sleep and make one oblivious of mosquito nuisance.
尽管全球在生产和分发经杀虫剂处理的蚊帐（ITN）以保护人们免受恶性疟原虫寄生虫侵害方面投入了巨额资金，但疟疾在尼日利亚仍然是一个公共卫生问题。为了设计有效使用ITN的策略，需要了解其使用情况。在尼日利亚3个地缘政治区的社区进行了焦点小组讨论（FGD）。人们对疟疾和蚊虫叮咬的了解甚少，这导致了错误的认知，并将蚊帐误用作门窗百叶窗以“保护整个家庭”，因为每户只发放了两顶蚊帐。建议利用社区结构（传统领袖/村长、年轻人、教堂和清真寺）来确保蚊帐的有效分发、提高认识并监测社区内蚊帐的使用情况。健康教育将消除人们的误解，即ITN会致命、会降低人类生育能力，以及当地杜松子酒（Kai-Kai）会使人入睡并让人对蚊虫叮咬毫无察觉。
