Knowledge of Malaria and Management Practices of Primary Health Care Workers Treating Children with Malaria in Ibadan,Nigeria

Abstract

A survey of the knowledge and management practices of 61 health workers in five primary health care facilities in Ibadan 30 health workers observed as they managed children with fever and the parasite status of 92 children diagnosed to have malaria was conducted. Sixty-seven percent of children had the malaria parasite. Knowledge on some basic concepts was fairly adequate as the majority (75.4%) knew the cause of malaria, and 95.1% correctly recognized its key signs and symptoms. Treatment practices were poor as only 55.7% and 63.9% of health workers, respectively, prescribed chloroquine and paracetamol correctly; most gave underdosage. Observation revealed that history taking and physical examinations were rudimentary. Scores out of 100 on correct prescriptions of chloroquine and paracetamol were 60.1 and 76.8, respectively. There is an urgent need for periodic education programs, especially for health workers with many years of experience to help them maintain clinical skills and refresh their knowledge.