A systematic review of factors influencing participation in two types of malaria prevention intervention in Southeast Asia

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Breagh Cheng, Saw Nay Htoo, Naw Pue Pue Mhote, Colleen M. Davison
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2021
• Subjects: Malaria; Insecticide-treated nets; Systematic review; Southeast Asia; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-03733-y; https://doaj.org/article/b2ca77487d934db09fabb3d2b1960be0

Abstract Background Multi-pronged malaria elimination strategies are increasingly being considered for accelerating efforts against malaria transmission in Southeast Asia. Two malaria prevention interventions used in in the region are insecticide-treated bed-nets (ITNs) and mass drug administration (MDA). Universal access to ITNs is recommended and high population coverage (e.g. above 80%) is needed during MDA initiatives to maximize the impact of these interventions. However, variability in ITN use and individual MDA participation exists. This systematic review aims to provide a summary and overview of literature discussing factors influencing uptake of these two malaria control strategies in Southeast Asian countries. Methods A search of OVID Embase, OVID MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, OpenGrey, ProQuest, and Google Scholar was undertaken in February 2020. English-language publications with any study design using data from any of the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were eligible for inclusion. In addition, reference lists of identified articles were manually searched. Websites for relevant international agencies were also searched to identify related grey literature. Results The review identified thirty publications that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most discussed ITN use (n = 18) and were relevant to populations in Myanmar (n = 14). All MDA studies were published after 2016, whereas included ITN studies spanned from 1998 to 2020. Seven main themes emerged across the studies. Knowledge of malaria and attitudes towards ITNs were emphasized as key factors associated with ITN use. For MDA participation, key factors included the importance of positive attitudes towards the program, the influence of indirect costs and incentives, and the tendency for group decision-making. Conclusions As countries in Southeast Asia continue to work towards becoming malaria-free by 2030, the knowledge and attitudes of local population ...