UTILISATION OF LONG-LASTING INSECTICIDAL TREATED NET IN PREVENTING MALARIA INFECTION IN TELTELE DISTRICT BORENA ZONE, ETHIOPIA: MATCHED CASE–CONTROL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Malaria is major public health problem in Ethiopia; mainly due to large Mobile community and climate change. Teltele Woreda is one of the high malaria transmission stratified district in low land area of Borena Zone. Objective: To assess utilisation of treated bed net in malaria prevention among individuals in Teltele district, Borena zone, Ethiopia from July 15-August 31, 2022. Methods: An institution-based age, resident, and gender matched case–control study was conducted among 300 samples (75 cases and 225 controls). Cases were individuals tested by microscopy and get positive for malaria at health center and Hospital, controls were matched by age, resident and gender with cases by interval and individual matching respectively. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, entered in to Epi-data version 3.1 and matched cases and controls were paired by grouping with the same codes. The data were exported to STATA version 14.0 for analysis. To measure association between dependent and independent variables bivariable (matched crude odds ratio) and multivariable (matched adjusted odds ratio) conditional logistic regression analysis were done with 95% confidence interval (CI). The effectiveness of treated bed nets in malaria prevention was declared when the p-value was<0.05 during a multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis. Results: About 29(39%) cases and 130(58.5%) of controls were slept under bed net regularly for two weeks prior to data collection. The study shows odds of malaria infection reduces by 71.6% among individual that use bed net regularly for the last two weeks. (AOR=0.284, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.62). Moreover, living in a house sprayed with IRS (AOR=0.19 95%CI= (0.07, 0.48), frequently opening doors and windows (AOR=5.7, 95%, CI 2.24, 14.4), living with a patient having similar malaria signs (AOR=11.27, 95%, CI 3.84, 33.10) were significantly associated with malaria. Conclusion: The current finding on utilisation of bed net suggested, regularly sleeping under a bed net provides high protection from malaria infection, therefore availing and nudging the community to use is fundamental. In addition, spraying house with IRS and other vector control activities are needed an integrated approach for effective prevention of malaria in the district