Knowledge, attitudes and practices among pregnant women on intermittent presumptive therapy in Guruve District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices among pregnant women on Intermittent Presumptive Therapy in Guruve District. This district lies along the Zambezi valley which is a malaria endemic area where forty-five percent of maternal deaths are due to malaria. Furthermore, some deaths are due to severe aneamia associated with malaria. Intermittent Presumptive Therapy refers to the use of anti-malarial chugs given in treatment doses at predetermined intervals after quickening. Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted through the bite of an infected female, anopheles mosquito. Malaria endemic areas have malaria all year round. The pregnant women in the malaria endemic area are given Intermittent Presumptive Therapy (IPT) as a prophylaxis measure. The problem noted was that, despite the prophylaxis measure, maternal deaths due to malaria and associated problems still occurred. It seemed as if the pregnant women did not have knowledge of the malaria prophylaxis drugs and had negative attitudes and practices. Thus the investigator wanted to find out the knowledge possessed by these women, their attitudes and practices on Intermittent Presumptive Therapy. The assumptions made were that: all pregnant women in Guruve District attending antenatal clinics were on Intermittent Presumptive Therapy; that IPT was being practiced and information was being disseminated to pregnant women in the district through health education by health workers.