Abstract
Background
Malaria infection during pregnancy is a big burden in Sudan and has many adverse effects on both mother and fetus. There are no data concerning the local socio-cultural knowledge of malaria, its complications and prevention during pregnancy.
Aim
This study was conducted to assess the perceptions of the causes of malaria, its complications, treatment and prevention among midwives and pregnant women of Eastern Sudan so as to provide policy makers and malaria programme managers with information needed to improve the design of malaria control.
Subject and methods
Interviews were conducted with 87 midwives and 168 pregnant women.
Results
More than three-quarters (78.2%) of the midwives and (82.7%) pregnant women perceived that mosquitoes were the transmitters of malaria. The coverage of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) was 65.5% among the interviewed pregnant women. There was poor knowledge about the complications of malaria during pregnancy and the effect of malaria treatment on the fetus among the interviewed midwives and pregnant women. More than 60% of the midwives (n = 59, 67.8%) and almost all of the pregnant women (n = 162, 96.4%) had no knowledge about intermittent preventive treatment (IPT).
Conclusion
Thus, in spite of good knowledge about symptoms of malaria during pregnancy, there was a lack of perception of prevention and the safety of IPT.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A/Rahman SH, Mohamedani AA, Mirgani EM, Ibrahim AM (1996) Gender aspects and women’s participation in the control and management of malaria in central Sudan. Soc Sci Med 42:1433–1446
Adam I, Khamis AH, Elbashir MI (2005a) Prevalence and risk factors for Plasmodium falciparum malaria in pregnant women of eastern Sudan. Malar J 4(1):18
Adam I, Khamis AH, Elbashir MI (2005b) Prevalence and risk factors for anaemia in pregnant women of eastern Sudan. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 99:739–743
AFRO (2002) Strategic framework for malaria control during pregnancy in the WHO African region, 1 November
Alaii JA, van den Borne HW, Kachur SP, Shelley K, Mwenesi H, Vulule JM, Hawley WA, Nahlen BL, Phillips-Howard PA (2003) Community reactions to the introduction of permethrin-treated bed nets for malaria control during a randomized controlled trial in western Kenya. Am J Trop Med Hyg 68(4 Suppl):128–136
Cot M, Deloron P (2003) Malaria during pregnancy: consequences and interventional perspectives (in French). Med Trop (Mars) 63:369–380
Dafallah SE, El-Agib FH, Bushra GO (2003) Maternal mortality in a teaching hospital in Sudan. Saudi Med J 24:369–373
Elghazali G, Adam I, Hamad AA, Elbashir MI (2003) Plasmodium falciparum infection during pregnancy in an unstable transmission area in eastern Sudan. East Mediterr Health J 9:570–580
Govere J, Durrheim D, la Grange K, Mabuza A, Booman M (2000) Community knowledge and perceptions about malaria and practices influencing malaria control in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. S Afr Med J 90:611–616
Himeidan YE, Elbashir MI, Adam I (2004) Attractiveness of pregnant Sudanese women to the malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis, in Sudan. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 98:631–633
Himeidan YE, Malik EM, Adam I (2005) Epidemiology and seasonal pattern of malaria in an irrigated area of eastern Sudan. Am J Infect Dis 1:75–78
Launiala A, Kulmala T (2006) The importance of understanding the local context: women’s perceptions and knowledge concerning malaria in pregnancy in rural Malawi. Acta Trop 98:111–117
Malik EM, Khalafalla OM (2004) Malaria in Sudan: past, present and the future. Gezira J Health Sci 1(Suppl):47–51
Mbonye AK, Neema S, Magnussen P (2006a) Preventing malaria in pregnancy: a study of perceptions and policy implications in Mukono district, Uganda. Health Policy Plan 21:17–26
Mbonye AK, Neema S, Magnussen P (2006b) Treatment-seeking practices for malaria in pregnancy among rural women in Mukono district, Uganda. J Biosoc Sci 38:221–237
Mbonye AK, Neema S, Magnussen P (2006c) Perceptions on use of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in pregnancy and the policy implications for malaria control in Uganda. Health Policy 77:279–289
Nuwaha F (2002) People’s perception of malaria in Mbarara, Uganda. Trop Med Int Health 7:462–470
Parise ME, Ayisi JG, Nahlen BL (1998) Efficacy of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for prevention of placental malaria in an area of Kenya with a high prevalence of malaria and human immunodeficiency virus infection. Am J Trop Med Hyg 59:813–822
Steketee RW, Nahlen BL, Parise ME, Menendez C (2001) The burden of malaria in pregnancy in malaria-endemic areas. Am J Trop Med Hyg 64:28–35
Ter Kuile FO, Terlouw DJ, Phillips-Howard PA, Hawley WA, Friedman JF, Kariuki SK, Shi YP, Kolczak MS, Lal AA, Vulule JM, Nahlen BL (2003) Reduction of malaria during pregnancy by permethrin-treated bed nets in an area of intense perennial malaria transmission in western Kenya. Am J Trop Med Hyg 68(4 Suppl):50–60
Verhoeff FH, Brabin BJ, Chimsuku L, Kazembe P, Russell WN, Broadhead R (1998) An evaluation of the effects of intermittent sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine treatment in pregnancy on parasite clearance and risk of low birthweight in rural Malawi. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 92:141–150
Acknowledgements
This investigation received technical and financial support from the joint WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO), Division of Communicable Diseases (DCD) and the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR): The EMRO/TDR Small Grants Scheme for Operational Research in Tropical and other Communicable Diseases.
Conflicts of interest statement
The authors have no conflicts of interest concerning the work reported in this paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Adam, I., Omer, E.s.M., Salih, A. et al. Perceptions of the causes of malaria and of its complications, treatment and prevention among midwives and pregnant women of Eastern Sudan. J Public Health 16, 129–132 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-007-0124-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-007-0124-2