Use and Misuse of Insecticide Treated bed Nets in Community Based Education and Service (COBES) Centres (2014) in Western Kenya.

A.V.M. Kwena

Volume : IV, Issue : III, March - 2015

Use and Misuse of Insecticide Treated bed Nets in Community Based Education and Service (COBES) Centres (2014) in Western Kenya.

A. V. M. Kwena

Abstract :

Use of permethrin Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) as well as curtains in control of malaria has been extensively reported. However, many cases of misuse of ITNs have also been documented. It is with this in mind that the community diagnosis process of the COBES programme of Moi University College of Health sciences provided an ideal framework to assess the proper use and misuse of ITNs. The objective of the study was to determine the proper and improper use of insecticide treated bed nets in COBES centres in Western Kenya. Cross–sectional surveys were carried out in 20 Health Centres in western part of Kenya. More than half of the Health centres had a mosquito prevalence of over 75% and a corresponding malaria prevalence. All the health centres reported use of mosquito nets in prevention against malaria. Almost all the Health centres showed evidence of misuse of Insecticide Treated mosquito nets. Misuse of ITNs should be discouraged in all the Health centres studied since it negates the mosquito control programmes.