Factors influencing the uptake of intermittent preventive treatment (sulfadoxine pyrimethamine) among pregnant women in the East Mamprusi Municipality in the Northern Region of Ghana
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Date
November, 2019
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Abstract
Background: Malaria is an enormous public health problem affecting pregnant women,
young children and adults, even though many awareness creation has been done on malaria
in pregnancy but women in developing countries are still dying as a result of malaria in
pregnancy and this necessitated for the research on factors influencing the uptake of
intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp-SP) among pregnant women in East Mamprusi
Municipal as it appears policy makers are not prioritizing malaria in pregnancy as a key
condition that needs attention.
Objective: To assess the factors influencing the uptake of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine among
pregnant women in East Mamprusi Municipality.
Methods: Convenient sampling was employed in interacting with 310 pregnant women
solely to solicit the views on IPTp uptake as the ultimate goal of the study.
Results: Approximately 90% of the respondents have heard about Intermittent Preventive
Treatment (IPT-SP) and significantly 96.4% of respondents also received education on
malaria in pregnancy. Moreover, 96.3% of respondents linked the transmission of malaria to
mosquito bites. On the whole, about 50.8% of the pregnant women knew that failure to take
SP during pregnancy can put the health of the mother and the unborn baby in danger. In
addition to these, 63% of respondents perceived that taking of SP safeguards a pregnant
woman from malaria as well as about 60% of respondents also suggested SP should be
continued to be given to pregnant women in various clinics during Ante-natal care. About
46% of respondents mentioned that they were not able to take IPT at each visit as a result of
stock out of SP within the Municipality.
Conclusion: Ninety –six percent agreed that Nurses give Health talk on malaria and almost
same percent knew that malaria is transmitted by mosquito bites. However few barriers like
weakness, Dizziness, Scent of SP and above all stock out of SP in the municipality were
some of the issues respondents mentioned interfere in uptake of IPT. Therefore, the
municipal health directorate should ensure regular supply of SP to health facilities within the
East Mamprusi Municipality.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Health Education, Promotion and Disability, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and Education.
Keywords
Sulfadoxine pyrimethamine, Pregnant women., Northern region, Ghana