Background: Studies show that the burden of malaria remains huge particularly in low-income settings. Although effective malaria control measures such as insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) have been promoted, relatively little is known about their equity dimension. Understanding variations in their use in low-income settings is important for scaling up malaria control programmes particularly ITNs. The objective of this paper is to measure the extent and causes of inequalities in the ownership and utilisation of bed nets across socioeconomic groups (SEGs) and age groups in Tanga District, north-eastern Tanzania.
Methods: A questionnaire was administered to heads of 1,603 households from rural and urban areas. Households were categorized into SEGs using both an asset-based wealth index and education level of the household head. Concentration indices and regression-based measures of inequality were computed to analyse both vertical and horizontal inequalities in ownership and utilisation of bed nets. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were used to explore community perspectives on the causes of inequalities.
Results: Use of ITNs remained appallingly low compared to the RBM target of 80% coverage. Inequalities in ownership of ITNs and all nets combined were significantly pro-rich and were much more pronounced in rural areas. FGDs revealed that lack of money was the key factor for not using ITNs followed by negative perceptions about the effect of insecticides on the health of users. Household SES, living within the urban areas and being under-five were positively associated with bed net ownership and/or utilisation.
Conclusion: The results highlight the need for mass distribution of ITN; a community-wide programme to treat all untreated nets and to promote the use of Long-Lasting Insecticidal nets (LLINs) or longer-lasting treatment of nets. The rural population and under-fives should be targeted through highly subsidized schemes and mass distribution of free nets. Public campaigns are also needed to encourage people to use treated nets and mitigate negative perceptions about insecticides.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-8-109 | DOI Listing |
Learn Health Syst
January 2025
Northwell New Hyde Park New York USA.
Introduction: Learning health networks (LHNs) improve clinical outcomes by applying core tenets of continuous quality improvements (QI) to reach community-defined outcomes, data-sharing, and empowered interdisciplinary teams including patients and caregivers. LHNs provide an ideal environment for the rapid adoption of evidence-based guidelines and translation of research and best practices at scale. When an LHN is established, it is critical to understand the needs of all stakeholders.
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January 2025
Akureyri Junior College, Akureyri, Iceland.
Objectives: Sleep is often compromised in adolescents, affecting their health and quality of life. This pilot-study was conducted to evaluate if implementing brief-behavioral and sleep-hygiene education with mindfulness intervention may positively affect sleep-health in adolescents.
Method: Participants in this community-based non-randomized cohort-study volunteered for intervention (IG)- or control-group (CG).
Sleep Breath
January 2025
Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Purpose: A high proportion of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains undiagnosed. The main objectives of this study were to measure the prevalence of diagnosed OSA and determine OSA predictors in patients who underwent bariatric surgery, who are predominantly female and pre-menopausal and represent an understudied population in OSA literature.
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Br Med Bull
January 2025
Department of Bioethics & Health Humanities, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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November 2024
Yankton Medical Clinic P.C., Yankton, South Dakota.
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