Maternal administration of chloroquine: an unexplored aspect of malaria control.
A health education package, designed to teach women to perceive and treat episodes of malaria, was tried in a rural area of The Gambia with no tradition of home based antimalarial therapy and a poor working knowledge of malaria. During the course of the rainy season, after a period of health education, 67.9% of the study mothers dispensed complete courses of chloroquine as instructed. Mothers were interviewed either weekly, monthly, halfway through or at the end of the 6 month study. Mothers interviewed weekly gave 65% more chloroquine than mothers interviewed less frequently. The implications of morbidity surveillance on chloroquine consumption, and of the study as a whole for Primary Health Care programmes are discussed.
Menon
A
A
Medical Research Council Laboratories, Nr Banjul, The Gambia.
Joof
D
D
Rowan
K M
KM
Greenwood
B M
BM
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005714:Gambia; D006266:Health Education; D006701:Home Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008288:Malaria / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009035:Mothers; D012424:Rural Population
D002738:Chloroquine