Prevalence, awareness, treatment-seeking behaviours and its implications in the control of malaria in Dumbu community, Donga-Mantung Division, North West Region, Cameroon.

Background: Malaria remains a major public health problem in Cameroon where it accounts for high rates of morbidity and mortality. The management of the disease has been made worst in the North West region of Cameroon and in Dumbu in particular by the on-going socio-political crisis since 2016, which has limited the transport of drugs to this community and has also forced the inhabitants of this community to rely on traditional concoctions for treatment with the notion that it is cheap. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of malaria, assess the malaria awareness level, the treatment-seeking behaviours, and its implications on the prevalence of malaria in the Dumbu community.

Methods: Questionnaires were administered to consented individuals. Blood samples were collected by finger prick using sterile lancets and blood films prepared on well labelled glass slides. The dry blood films were stained using a 3% Giemsa staining solution for 30 min. Data was collected were later analysed using SPSS.

Results: Out of the 385 persons screened, malaria was recorded in 107 persons (27.8%). Those in the age group 11-25 years old were the most infected with malaria prevalence of 32.3% (41/127) while those in the age group ≥ 50 years recorded the least prevalence [19.3% (11/57)] and the difference was not significant (χ² = 3.716, p = 0.294). Yaoundé quarter recorded the highest prevalence 32.7% (35/107) and males were more infected than females. On awareness level, they have heard of malaria and knew its causal agent to be an infected mosquito, 48.3% considered fever as the sign of the infection. Sixty-nine-point 8 percent (69.8%) of the population rushes to the health centre for treatment while 5.6% prefers herbal treatment.

Conclusion: Malaria is still a health challenge in this area and people infected should be advised to seek treatment, whenever they have malaria from a health facility to ensure that the treatment given is appropriate.