Care takers’ choice of source of malaria treatment for children under 5 in Mpigi District Town Council

Abstract

This study was conceived out of the need to investigate the role played by choice of malaria treatment in the low effectiveness of existing malaria control mechanisms in urban areas.The study aimed at understanding caretakers’ alternative malaria treatment choices for children under five by investigating the factors that influence their choice and the implications of these choices on malaria policy for urban areas. This study employed both the quantitative and qualitative methods to establish the influence of malaria policy on choice of malaria treatment for children under 5 in Mpigi urban areas. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data on factors that influence choice of health care, utilization of health facilities, satisfaction with health care facilities and perceptions of health care alternatives. Key informant interviews with a help of an interview guide were used to collect qualitative data. The findings of the study reveal that marital status and relationship of caretaker to child significantly influence choice of source of malaria treatment for children under 5 in Mpigi town council. Different groups of respondents assessed source of health information differently. This finding meant that different people in the study population access sources of health information differently and as such, this could bring about differential levels of satisfaction. The findings reveal that the malaria policy influences choice of malaria treatment for children under 5 in Mpigi urban areas. This is because the policy impacts on the quality of service and this eventually factors in to influence access to health care. The findings reveal that caretakers seek treatment from different areas but they mostly use government health care units. Findings also revealed that majority of the population seek treatment for Malaria. However, there is need to improve strategies related to source of health information. Concerning caretakers’ satisfaction, it was found out that there was a significant difference in how respondents of the different sex groups and marital status assess source of health information. I can therefore conclude that marital status and the relationship a caretaker has with a child influence choice of health care.