Knowledge and practices regarding malaria and the National Treatment Guidelines among public health workers in Equatorial Guinea
Abstract Background In 2018, an estimated 228 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide. Countries are far from having achieved reasonable levels of national protocol compliance among health workers. Lack of awareness of treatment protocols and treatment resistance by prescribers threatens to unde...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Malaria Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-020-03528-7 |
| _version_ | 1818675285471526912 |
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| author | Marta Blanco Pablo Suárez-Sanchez Belén García Jesús Nzang Policarpo Ncogo Matilde Riloha Pedro Berzosa Agustín Benito María Romay-Barja |
| author_facet | Marta Blanco Pablo Suárez-Sanchez Belén García Jesús Nzang Policarpo Ncogo Matilde Riloha Pedro Berzosa Agustín Benito María Romay-Barja |
| author_sort | Marta Blanco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background In 2018, an estimated 228 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide. Countries are far from having achieved reasonable levels of national protocol compliance among health workers. Lack of awareness of treatment protocols and treatment resistance by prescribers threatens to undermine progress when it comes to reducing the prevalence of this disease. This study sought to evaluate the degree of knowledge and practices regarding malaria diagnosis and treatment amongst prescribers working at the public health facilities of Bata, Equatorial Guinea. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in October-December 2017 amongst all public health professionals who attended patients under the age of 15 years, with suspected malaria in the Bata District of Equatorial Guinea. Practitioners were asked about their practices and knowledge of malaria and the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines. A bivariate analysis and a logistic regression model were used to determine factors associated with their knowledge. Results Among the 44 practitioners interviewed, 59.1% worked at a Health Centre and 40.9% at the District Hospital of Bata. Important differences in knowledge and practices between hospital and health centre workers were found. Clinical diagnosis was more frequently by practitioners at the health centres (p = 0.059), while microscopy confirmation was more frequent at regional hospital (100%). Intramuscular artemether was the anti-malarial most administrated at the health centres (50.0%), while artemether-lumefantrine was the treatment most used at the regional hospital (66.7%). Most practitioners working at public health facilities (63.6%) have a low level of knowledge regarding the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines. While knowledge regarding malaria, the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines and treatment resistances is low, it was higher amongst hospital workers than amongst practitioners at health centres. Conclusions It is essential to reinforce practitioners’ knowledge, treatment and diagnosis practices and use of the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines in order to improve malaria case management and disease control in the region. A specific malaria training programme ensuring ongoing updates training is necessary in order to ensure that greater experience does not entail obsolete knowledge and, consequently, inadequate diagnosis and treatment practices. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T08:25:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e88a72dc822945a9872fae676c9876c4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1475-2875 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T08:25:09Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Malaria Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-e88a72dc822945a9872fae676c9876c42022-12-21T21:56:49ZengBMCMalaria Journal1475-28752021-01-012011910.1186/s12936-020-03528-7Knowledge and practices regarding malaria and the National Treatment Guidelines among public health workers in Equatorial GuineaMarta Blanco0Pablo Suárez-Sanchez1Belén García2Jesús Nzang3Policarpo Ncogo4Matilde Riloha5Pedro Berzosa6Agustín Benito7María Romay-Barja8Centro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos IIICentro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos IIICentro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos IIICentro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos IIICentro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMinisterio de Salud y Bienestar SocialCentro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos IIICentro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos IIICentro Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIAbstract Background In 2018, an estimated 228 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide. Countries are far from having achieved reasonable levels of national protocol compliance among health workers. Lack of awareness of treatment protocols and treatment resistance by prescribers threatens to undermine progress when it comes to reducing the prevalence of this disease. This study sought to evaluate the degree of knowledge and practices regarding malaria diagnosis and treatment amongst prescribers working at the public health facilities of Bata, Equatorial Guinea. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in October-December 2017 amongst all public health professionals who attended patients under the age of 15 years, with suspected malaria in the Bata District of Equatorial Guinea. Practitioners were asked about their practices and knowledge of malaria and the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines. A bivariate analysis and a logistic regression model were used to determine factors associated with their knowledge. Results Among the 44 practitioners interviewed, 59.1% worked at a Health Centre and 40.9% at the District Hospital of Bata. Important differences in knowledge and practices between hospital and health centre workers were found. Clinical diagnosis was more frequently by practitioners at the health centres (p = 0.059), while microscopy confirmation was more frequent at regional hospital (100%). Intramuscular artemether was the anti-malarial most administrated at the health centres (50.0%), while artemether-lumefantrine was the treatment most used at the regional hospital (66.7%). Most practitioners working at public health facilities (63.6%) have a low level of knowledge regarding the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines. While knowledge regarding malaria, the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines and treatment resistances is low, it was higher amongst hospital workers than amongst practitioners at health centres. Conclusions It is essential to reinforce practitioners’ knowledge, treatment and diagnosis practices and use of the National Malaria Treatment Guidelines in order to improve malaria case management and disease control in the region. A specific malaria training programme ensuring ongoing updates training is necessary in order to ensure that greater experience does not entail obsolete knowledge and, consequently, inadequate diagnosis and treatment practices.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-020-03528-7MalariaTreatmentProtocolsPractitionersBehavior |
| spellingShingle | Marta Blanco Pablo Suárez-Sanchez Belén García Jesús Nzang Policarpo Ncogo Matilde Riloha Pedro Berzosa Agustín Benito María Romay-Barja Knowledge and practices regarding malaria and the National Treatment Guidelines among public health workers in Equatorial Guinea Malaria Journal Malaria Treatment Protocols Practitioners Behavior |
| title | Knowledge and practices regarding malaria and the National Treatment Guidelines among public health workers in Equatorial Guinea |
| title_full | Knowledge and practices regarding malaria and the National Treatment Guidelines among public health workers in Equatorial Guinea |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge and practices regarding malaria and the National Treatment Guidelines among public health workers in Equatorial Guinea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge and practices regarding malaria and the National Treatment Guidelines among public health workers in Equatorial Guinea |
| title_short | Knowledge and practices regarding malaria and the National Treatment Guidelines among public health workers in Equatorial Guinea |
| title_sort | knowledge and practices regarding malaria and the national treatment guidelines among public health workers in equatorial guinea |
| topic | Malaria Treatment Protocols Practitioners Behavior |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-020-03528-7 |
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