కమ్యూనిటీ మెడిసిన్ & హెల్త్ ఎడ్యుకేషన్

నైరూప్య

Disease Occurrence and Utilization of Preventive Measures in Self- Perceived Cases of Malaria

Indrani Acharya and Jayanti P Acharya

Aim: To study the utilization of preventive anti-malaria services by fever cases who perceived that the same was due to Malaria, in a community in the fringe area of a cantonment in a city in India, so as to render some relevant pointers towards existing lacunae in the public health system.
Methods: Two hundred and ten cases of self-perceived malaria were identified and interviewed over a  period of 9 months, to find out as to what proportion amongst them were actually slide positive (confirmed) cases and to obtain utilization rates of anti-malarial preventive measures/services.
Results: Though only 2 cases were confirmed by blood smear exam (0.95%, Slide Positivity Rate 0.0137/1000) it was found out that the majority of cases had availed of some health facility to confirm their illness as malaria or otherwise, taken some form of drug treatment prescribed by health personnel / medical officers and adopted routine preventive measures against mosquitoes. Reasons for non-utilization of such measures/services were ascertained amongst the few who did not to do so.
Conclusion: Based on the observations certain recommendations, like (a) intensifying Malaria awareness activities and integrated vector-control measures by the responsible health authorities esp. before the Malaria months, and (b) the communities’ whole-hearted participation in various anti-Malaria programs, were made.