Attitude of women in western Uganda towards pre‐packed, unit‐dosed malaria treatment for children

• Published in: Tropical medicine & international health 2003-05, Vol.8 (5), p.431-438
• Main Authors: Kilian, A. H. D., Tindyebwa, D., Gülck, T., Byamukama, W., Rubaale, T., Kabagambe, G., Korte, R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acceptance; Adolescent; Adult; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antimalarials - administration & dosage; Antiparasitic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Caregivers - psychology; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Decision Making; Drug Packaging - methods; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; home management; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Malaria; Malaria - drug therapy; Malaria - psychology; malaria treatment; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mothers - psychology; Parasitic diseases; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; pre‐packaging; Protozoal diseases; Rural Health; Tropical medicine; Uganda; Urban Health
• ISSN: 1360-2276; 1365-3156
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2003.01044.x

Summary In the context of a larger study on malaria related knowledge, attitudes, practices and beliefs in western Uganda 813 women aged 15–49 years were shown a sample of a pre‐packed, unit‐dosed malaria treatment for children, its use was explained and attitudes of the women were investigated. Of all women, 90.5% (86% urban, 92% rural) said they would prefer the pre‐packed over the conventional type of treatment and 93.9% of these were willing to pay between 0.17 (rural) and 0.29 (urban) US$ more for this treatment. Two‐thirds (67.8%) thought that they would not have to ask their spouses before making a decision on the kind of treatment and 59.5% said they would rather stock the treatment at home than buy it when a child gets sick. The most mentioned reason for preferring pre‐packs was their safety and cleanliness, while ease of application, dosing and compliance were secondary. We conclude that pre‐packed, unit‐dosed malaria treatment is accepted by the caretakers of children in the area studied and that they readily understand and accept its concept. This indicates a high potential for this approach to improve the home management of malaria fevers and reduce malaria‐related morbidity and mortality if adequate coverage can be achieved and if the intervention is embedded into an appropriate programme of behavioural change communication and provider training.