Browsing by Author "Kirway, Daniel Barran"

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    Malaria chemoprophylaxis practice among pregnant women attending maternal and health clinics and factors influencing the practice in Ilala district in Dar es Salaam
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 1993) Kirway, Daniel Barran
    This descriptive study was conducted in Ilala district in Dar es Salaam region from July 1992 to December 1992. The study involved 800 pregnant women in 4 Maternal and Child Health (MCH) clinics. The main objective of the study was to determine the pattern of malaria chemoprophylaxis practice among pregnant women attending MCH clinics in Ilala district and factors influencing malaria chemoprophylaxis. The study revealed that 674 (84.3 percent) of the pregnant women presented to the MCH clinic for the first antenatal booking during the second trimester. Prior to their first antenatal booking all the pregnant women had not started using chemoprophylaxis against malaria. Malaria attack during the pregnancy period before the first antenatal booking was reported among 260 (35.3 percent) of all the 737 interviewed pregnant women. Some 208 (26 percent) of the pregnant women (84 primigravidas and 124 multigravidas) had malaria parasites on examination. Of the interviewed 737 pregnant women in the second visit, 344 (46.7 percent) were found to practice chemoprophylaxis against malaria as recommended (140 of these had urine positive for chloroquine). Some 262 (76.2 percent) of these were attending private MCH clinics and 240 (70 percent) of these were multigravidas. Malaria parasites were found in 142 (19 percent) of the interviewed pregnant women (53 primigravidas and 89 multigravidas). According to this study, the factors which influence chemoprophylaxis against malaria include: ownership of the MCH clinic (X2=185 df = 1 P = 0.0000), past chemoprophylaxis experience (X2= 178.8 df = 1 P = 0.0000), gravidity (X2= 100.2 df = 1 P = 0.0000), education (X2= 78.08 df = 2 P = 0.0000) and Age X2= 40.22 df = 4 P = 0.0000). The reasons given by 366 non-users of chemoprophylaxis against malaria were that chloroquine was not supplied (38 percent), side effects from chloroquine (31 percent), lack of information concerning malaria chemoprophylaxis (26 percent) and lack of funds to buy chloroquine (4 percent). This study revealed that malaria chemoprophylaxis practice among pregnant women was unsatisfactory, especially for pregnant women attending government MCH clinics. Ways to improve malaria chemoprophylaxis in pregnant women are suggested and an alternative strategy is proposed.