Assessment of community responses to provision of insecticide treated mosquito nets as a malaria reduction initiative in Geita District-Tanzania

The study assessed the community response to the utilization of ITNs in Geita District. With a specific emphasis on the extent to which children under 5 years used ITNs, factors that determined the utilization of ITNs, and the perception of women and men on the use of ITNs at household. The study used survey as the research design. The researcher used questionnaires, interviews and documentary review as data collection techniques. Also SPSS computer software and Content analysis were used to analyze the information gathered from the study whereby tables, line graphs and figures were used. This study found that there was a negative response on utilization of ITNs. This was attributed to the fact that out of eighty (80%) per cent of parents/guardians who testified to have owned ITNs at households, less than 50% utilized ITNs. Further, the study revealed that some parents/guardians had negative attitude towards the use of ITNs. Lastly, the study discovered that factors determining the utilization of ITNs were subject to experience, beliefs and traditions, age, education, shelter trait and tendencies, occupation, geographical location, and male/female relation (in patriarchal households). This Dissertation is divided into five chapters. The chapter gives the background to the study, the statement of the problem, the objectives and the research questions guided this study, and the significance of the study. Chapter two presents the literature the researcher reviewed in order to come up with the knowledge gap which made him to carry out the present study. Chapter three presents the methodology and research design used in the collection of data which culminated in the present dissertation. Chapter four presents analyses and discusses the findings, while chapter five presents the summary, conclusion and recommendations.