Impact of insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying on self-reported malaria prevalence among women of reproductive age in Ghana: implication for malaria control and elimination

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Yakubu Alhassan, Duah Dwomoh, Susan Ama Amuasi, Justice Nonvignon, Harriet Bonful, Mary Tetteh, Kofi Agyabeng, Martha Kotey, Alfred E. Yawson, Samuel Bosomprah
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2022
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04136-3; https://doaj.org/article/715e667352ef40a4a9eff8e0ccd59c34

Abstract Background The Global Fund alone contributed 56% of all international financing for malaria and has invested more than US$13.5 billion in malaria treatment, prevention, and control programmes by June 2021. These investments include interventions such as mosquito nets, indoor residual spraying, and preventive treatment for children and pregnant women. However, there is paucity of studies for assessment of such investments to a reduction in malaria prevalence. This study was aimed at quantifying the impact of household access to insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and the indoor residual spraying (IRS) on self-reported malaria prevalence among women of reproductive age in Ghana. Methods The study analysed the 2016 Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) data. The MIS is a nationwide survey that included women aged 15–49 years. Poisson regression model with inverse probability to treatment weighting was used to determine average treatment effect estimate of the two malaria interventions on self-reported malaria prevalence among women of reproductive age in Ghana. Results A total sample of 4861 women interviewed from the 2016 Ghana MIS was used for analysis. The prevalence of self-reported malaria in 2016 was 34.4% (95% CI [32.4%, 36.4%]). Approximately 80.0% of women lived in households with access to ITNs [Percentage (Pr) = 79.9%, (95% CI [78.0%, 81.7%])], 12.4% (95% CI [7.5%, 19.8%]) of the households had access to IRS and 11.4% (95% CI [7.0%, 18.0%]) of the households had access to both ITNs and IRS. Household access to only ITN contributed to 7.1 percentage point (pt) reduction in the self-reported malaria among women (95% CI [− 12.0%, − 2.1%], p = 0.005) whilst IRS at the households contributed to 6.8pt reduction in malaria prevalence (95% CI [− 12.0%, − 2.1%], p = 0.005). Households with access to both ITNs and IRS contributed to a 27.1pt reduction in self-reported malaria prevalence among women (95% CI [− 12.0%, − 2.1%], p = 0.005). Conclusion Access to both ITNs and application of IRS at the household ...