Abstract:
Human malaria is a common and life-threatening disease in many tropical and sub tropical
areas. Consequently, malaria epidemics are serious public health emergencies. ITNs are the
most powerful malaria control tool. The utilization of ITNs is still unacceptably low among rural
people. The objectives of the present study were: to assess the prevalence of malaria, to
determine the predominant Plasmodium species among in the study participants and to assess
peoples’ knowledge about utilization of ITNs among rural people in Wachuge villages.
Community based cross sectional study was conducted and systemic random sampling method
was used to select 403 study participants for questionnaire and parasitological blood
examination. Study conducted during May-June 2015 in Wachuge villages, Meta Woreda,
Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Clinical records of malaria were used to analyses the trends of
malaria in last five years (2010-2014) records were obtained from the health centre of study
area. Diagnosis of malaria infection was done by microscopic examination of thick and thin
Giemsa stained blood smears for the presence of malaria parasite and plasmodium species.
Additionally structured and pre-tested questionnaires were used to assess the socio demographic
characteristics, respondents’ knowledge about ITNs utilization and knowledge about malaria in
the study area. The result obtained showed that, 75.7% of study participants had ITNs, the
knowledge about utilization of ITNs was not higher only 51.6% of study participants scored
above 50% of assessment questions about their knowledge of ITNs utilization and study participants knowledge about sign and symptoms of malaria was high among study participants.
Microscopic examination of blood showed that, the prevalence of malaria parasite was 11(2.7%)
in study area and P. Vivax and P. Falciparum were the dominant malaria parasites accounts for
(1.7%) and (1.0%) respectively in the study population. More males were infected than females.
Data obtained from the health centre record about malaria outpatients in study area showed that
malaria infections were found almost throughout every year and months
