Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Anopheles Mosquito Control and Malaria Prevention in East Sumba Island, Indonesia

Keywords: malaria, bed nets, spatial repellent, posyandu, mosquito control, Indonesia
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Friday
Session Start / End Time: 2/25/2022 05:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/25/2022 06:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 71

Abstract

With greater than 200 million human cases and 445,000 deaths each year, malaria remains a significant and ongoing global health challenge. This study employs a mixed methods approach to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding mosquito control and malaria prevention methods in East Sumba, Indonesia. While malaria is under control in much of Indonesia, transmission in Sumba Island remains high, with incidence as high as 500 per 1000 in some areas. Qualitative methods were utilized to explore use of insecticide treated nets, (ITNs), traditional Sumbanese mosquito control methods, and the role of integrated health service posts, (posyandu) and community-based health workers (kaders) to combat malaria and control mosquitoes. Focus group discussions (n = 7) and key informant interviews (n = 14) were conducted in six study sites across East Sumba Island. Household surveys (n = 757) offered insight into perceived risk of malaria and use of spatial repellent (SR). Results indicate that ITN use in East Sumba Island is household dependent based on decisions influenced by the environment or family dynamics. Further, respondents were overwhelmingly interested in adopting the novel SR expressing a likelihood of using the mosquito control method.