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The main aim of this study was to assess People’s Perception of Mosquito Net Performance in Muleba District in the North-Western Part of the Lake Zone of Tanzania. A cross-sectional survey and KAP survey were conducted a month apart. It was found that the sole reasons for not using bed nets in the study area were having not enough nets and bed nets being too old or poor condition. Half of the respondents continued to sleep under bed nets with poor conditions since they had no other alternatives. The attrition, survivorship and fabric integrity (LLIN with holes) rates were 36.85%, 57.76% and 60.15% respectively. Moreover, over 3 years more than 3 nets for every 10 nets distributed were lost because of wearing and tear, 5 nets survived out of 10 nets after 3 years and 4 nets sustained field condition for every net used. A proportionate hole index (pHI) was developed so that the integrity of net structure could be categorized. The pHI, IQR(Inter-quartile Range), median and standard deviation for HI were 3382.74, 2594.47, 3310.58 and 2551.50 respectively. There is wider dispersion of data on holes, and this is due to cluster geographical differences and differences in household composition between and within clusters. Based on study findings, mosquito nets are the main preventive measure against malaria used in Muleba. The population highly associate nets with malaria prevention. Nets with too many holes and more than three years old were perceived to be poorly performing in malaria prevention. Moreover, net attrition and survivorship and fabric integrity as elements of net durability showed significance difference between clusters because of geographical difference and the within cluster variation was due SES led by household composition. It is recommended that intensive and robust community-specific communication programmes should be devised by the government and/or other private institutions. Nets accessibility ought to be increased 3 years after free universal distribution through supply of subsidized nets in private shops so that families can at any time have access to them at lower costs. Pro-poor exemption policies can help the poorer group on equity bases |
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