The Use of Mosquito Nets and the Prevalence of Malaria in Somalia
Author Information
Author(s): Noor Abdisalan M., Moloney Grainne, Borle Mohamed, Fegan Greg W., Shewchuk Tanya, Snow Robert W.
Primary Institution: Kenya Medical Research Institute/Wellcome Trust Research Programme
Hypothesis
What is the effectiveness of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) in reducing malaria infection in areas of low transmission in Somalia?
Conclusion
Bed nets provide significant protection against malaria infection in South Central Somalia, but the overall impact on reducing infection rates is relatively small due to low baseline transmission.
Supporting Evidence
- Overall net use was 12.4% and parasite prevalence was 15.7%.
- Bed nets reduced the probability of infection by 54% after adjusting for age, sex, and livelihood.
- Children aged 5–14 years had the highest protective effectiveness of 71%.
Takeaway
Using mosquito nets helps keep people from getting sick with malaria, but in places where not many people are getting sick, it might not help as much as we think.
Methodology
Four cross-sectional studies were conducted using a stratified two-stage cluster sampling design to assess net use and malaria infection prevalence.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding factors such as socio-economic status and treatment-seeking behaviors were not adjusted for.
Limitations
Challenges in locating nomadic pastoralist clusters and lack of data on whether nets were treated with insecticide.
Participant Demographics
Participants included individuals of all ages from various livelihood groups in South Central Somalia.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 44%–63%
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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