Two treatments, one disease: childhood malaria management in Tanga, Tanzania
Abstract Background In the Tanga District of coastal Tanzania, malaria is one of the primary causes of mortality for children under the age of five. While some children are treated with malaria medications in biomedical facilities, as the World Health Organization recommends, others receive home-car...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:68d66be1e1af4ed9be35f5a8edb2338d 2023-05-15T15:12:26+02:00 Two treatments, one disease: childhood malaria management in Tanga, Tanzania Vilendrer Stacie Foster Deshka 2009-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-8-240 https://doaj.org/article/68d66be1e1af4ed9be35f5a8edb2338d EN eng BMC http://www.malariajournal.com/content/8/1/240 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-8-240 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/68d66be1e1af4ed9be35f5a8edb2338d Malaria Journal, Vol 8, Iss 1, p 240 (2009) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 article 2009 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-8-240 2022-12-31T06:54:16Z Abstract Background In the Tanga District of coastal Tanzania, malaria is one of the primary causes of mortality for children under the age of five. While some children are treated with malaria medications in biomedical facilities, as the World Health Organization recommends, others receive home-care or treatment from traditional healers. Recognition of malaria is difficult because symptoms can range from fever with uncomplicated malaria to convulsions with severe malaria. This study explores why caregivers in the Tanga District of Tanzania pursue particular courses of action to deal with malaria in their children. Methods Qualitative data were collected through interviews with three samples: female caregivers of children under five (N = 61), medical practitioners (N = 28), and traditional healers (N = 18) in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. The female caregiver sample is intentionally stratified to reflect the greater population of the Tanga District in level of education, marital status, gender of household head, religion, and tribal group affiliation. Qualitative data were counted, coded and analysed using NVivo7 software. Results Results indicate that a variety of factors influence treatment choice, including socio-cultural beliefs about malaria symptoms, associations with spiritual affliction requiring traditional healing, knowledge of malaria, and fear of certain anti-malaria treatment procedures. Most notably, some caregivers identified convulsions as a spiritual condition, unrelated to malaria. While nearly all caregivers reported attending biomedical facilities to treat children with fever (N = 60/61), many caregivers stated that convulsions are best treated by traditional healers (N = 26/61). Qualitative interviews with medical practitioners and traditional healers confirmed this belief. Conclusion Results offer insight into current trends in malaria management and have implications in healthcare policy, educational campaigns, and the importance of integrating traditional and biomedical approaches. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Malaria Journal 8 1 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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English |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Vilendrer Stacie Foster Deshka Two treatments, one disease: childhood malaria management in Tanga, Tanzania |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
description |
Abstract Background In the Tanga District of coastal Tanzania, malaria is one of the primary causes of mortality for children under the age of five. While some children are treated with malaria medications in biomedical facilities, as the World Health Organization recommends, others receive home-care or treatment from traditional healers. Recognition of malaria is difficult because symptoms can range from fever with uncomplicated malaria to convulsions with severe malaria. This study explores why caregivers in the Tanga District of Tanzania pursue particular courses of action to deal with malaria in their children. Methods Qualitative data were collected through interviews with three samples: female caregivers of children under five (N = 61), medical practitioners (N = 28), and traditional healers (N = 18) in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. The female caregiver sample is intentionally stratified to reflect the greater population of the Tanga District in level of education, marital status, gender of household head, religion, and tribal group affiliation. Qualitative data were counted, coded and analysed using NVivo7 software. Results Results indicate that a variety of factors influence treatment choice, including socio-cultural beliefs about malaria symptoms, associations with spiritual affliction requiring traditional healing, knowledge of malaria, and fear of certain anti-malaria treatment procedures. Most notably, some caregivers identified convulsions as a spiritual condition, unrelated to malaria. While nearly all caregivers reported attending biomedical facilities to treat children with fever (N = 60/61), many caregivers stated that convulsions are best treated by traditional healers (N = 26/61). Qualitative interviews with medical practitioners and traditional healers confirmed this belief. Conclusion Results offer insight into current trends in malaria management and have implications in healthcare policy, educational campaigns, and the importance of integrating traditional and biomedical approaches. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Vilendrer Stacie Foster Deshka |
author_facet |
Vilendrer Stacie Foster Deshka |
author_sort |
Vilendrer Stacie |
title |
Two treatments, one disease: childhood malaria management in Tanga, Tanzania |
title_short |
Two treatments, one disease: childhood malaria management in Tanga, Tanzania |
title_full |
Two treatments, one disease: childhood malaria management in Tanga, Tanzania |
title_fullStr |
Two treatments, one disease: childhood malaria management in Tanga, Tanzania |
title_full_unstemmed |
Two treatments, one disease: childhood malaria management in Tanga, Tanzania |
title_sort |
two treatments, one disease: childhood malaria management in tanga, tanzania |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-8-240 https://doaj.org/article/68d66be1e1af4ed9be35f5a8edb2338d |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Malaria Journal, Vol 8, Iss 1, p 240 (2009) |
op_relation |
http://www.malariajournal.com/content/8/1/240 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-8-240 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/68d66be1e1af4ed9be35f5a8edb2338d |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-8-240 |
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Malaria Journal |
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8 |
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1 |
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1766343111899873280 |