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Introduction: Malaria is still a public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2012 it claimed approximately 627,000 lives. Seventy seven percent (77%) of these deaths were of children less than five years of age making malaria the third most common cause of under-five deaths globally.
Objective: The aim of the study was to determine factors associated with appropriate healthcare seeking behavior and prompt use of recommended antimalarials among under-five children with fever in Tanzania.
Methods: This was a secondary analysis of Tanzania HIV and Malaria indicator survey (THMIS) 2011-12. The analysis involved children whose mothers reported to have fever two weeks preceding the survey.
Results: This study has shown 56.4% of the mothers sought appropriate care for their children with fevers of these only 42% got tested and those who tested positive only 38% used recommended antimalarials promptly. Furthermore, the results showed factors associated with appropriate healthcare seeking behaviors to be caretaker education, primary (OR 1.37; 95%CI: 1.02-1.87) and secondary education (OR=2.22; 95%CI: 1.22-4.06) compared with no education, children coming from rich family (OR: 1.97; CI: 1.03-3.77). Despite being more likely to be taken to appropriate healthcare facility (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.17-2.34), under-one year old are less likely to use recommended antimalarials following malaria diagnosis (OR 0.40; 95%CI: 0.18-0.92).
Conclusion: To effectively control malaria, inappropriate healthcare seeking behavior, low proportion of malaria testing and low proportion of prompt use of recommended antimalarials following malaria diagnosis should be addressed. Efforts to promote appropriate healthcare seeking for children with fever should address economical and educational empowerment.
Key words: Care-seeking, fever, treatment, malaria, under-five |
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