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Practices and Problems of Intermittent Preventive Treatment (Ipt) of Malaria in Pregnancy in Selected Primary Healthcare Centres In Ivo Local Government Area, Ebonyi State Nigeria Nwosu E.C.1*, Etusim P.E.2, Silas E.J.3, and Silas F.I.1 1Department of Pest Management Technology, Federal College of Agriculture Ishiagu, Nigeria. 2Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Abia State University Uturu, Nigeria. 3Department of Microbiology, Renaissance University, Enugu, Nigeria. *Corresponding Authors’ Contact Detail: E-mail Address ✉: euchristy1153@yahoo.com Accepted December 24, 2020 The study sought to investigate the practice of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) of malaria in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Six health facilities were selected. Medical record and questionnaires were used in obtaining information on the volume and time of antenatal registration, types of drugs used for IPT and method of administration. The result showed that antenatal registration was adequate and very high in Amaeze health center (42.1%) followed by Okue health center (14.0%) and least in Ayaragu (8.0%). Differences were statically significant (X2=1370.6343, p<0.05). Time of antenatal registration showed the overall record of 44.27% in the 2nd trimester followed by 1st trimester (39.43%). Differences were statically significant (X2=442.95, p<0.05). Only Amaeze health center stocked ACT drugs as currently recommended. Only two of the six health centers (33.3%) employed “Directly Observed Therapy” (DOT) method as approved by the Government for drug administration. The study recommended that Local health authorities should organize workshops for health personnel in their area to ensure equitable compliance with the recommended best practices in the use of IPT for malarial control among pregnant women. Key words: Malaria, Intermittent Preventive Treatment, Pregnant Women, Health facilities. Full Text PDF (295 KB) |
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