Knowledge, attitude, and adherence to malaria control guidelines and the prevalence of Plasmodium species infection in localities across transmission and ecological zones in Cameroon

Front Public Health. 2023 Apr 27:11:1060479. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1060479. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Background: Despite a scale up of control interventions over the years, malaria remains a major public health and economic concern in Cameroon, contributing considerably to hospitalization and deaths. The effectiveness of control strategies depends on the extent of adherence by the population to national guidelines. This study assessed the influence of human knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to malaria and its control on the prevalence of malaria parasite infection, with implications for the elimination of the disease.

Methodology: This is a cross-sectional community and hospital-based study, covering the five ecological and three malaria transmission zones in Cameroon. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to document socio-demographic and clinical parameters as well as knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward malaria control and management. Consenting participants were screened for malaria parasite with rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) of the peripheral blood. Association between qualitative variables was determined using the chi-square test and logistic regression analysis.

Results: A total of 3,360 participants were enrolled, 45.0% (1,513) of whom were mRDT positive, with 14.0% (451/3,216) and 29.6% (951/3,216) having asymptomatic parasitaemia and malaria, respectively. Although most participants knew the cause, symptoms, and control strategies, with 53.6% (1,000/1,867) expertly knowledgeable about malaria overall, only 0.1% (2/1,763) individuals were fully adherent to malaria control measures.

Conclusion: The risk of malaria in Cameroon remains high, with the population considerably knowledgeable about the disease but poorly adherent to national malaria control guidelines. Concerted and more effective strategies aimed at improving knowledge about malaria and adherences to control interventions are necessary to ultimately eliminate the disease.

Keywords: Plasmodium infection; adherence; attitude; knowledge; practice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cameroon / epidemiology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Humans
  • Malaria* / epidemiology
  • Malaria* / prevention & control
  • Plasmodium*
  • Prevalence

Grants and funding

This study received financial support in the form of a postdoctoral grant from the Developing Excellence in Leadership and Genetics Training for Malaria Elimination in sub-Saharan Africa (DELGEME) program (grant number 107740/Z/15/Z) sponsored by the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science (DELTAS) Africa initiative as well as the Pan African Malaria Genetic Epidemiology Network (PAMGEN)—Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa), grant number H3AFull/17/008.