Increasing coverage of insecticide-treated nets in rural Nigeria: implications of consumer knowledge, preferences and expenditures for malaria prevention.
BACKGROUND
The coverage of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) remains low despite existing distribution strategies, hence, it was important to assess consumers' preferences for distribution of ITNs, as well as their perceptions and expenditures for malaria prevention and to examine the implications for scaling-up ITNs in rural Nigeria.


METHODS
Nine focus group discussions (FGDs) and questionnaires to 798 respondents from three malaria hyper-endemic villages from Enugu state, south-east Nigeria were the study tools.


RESULTS
There was a broad spectrum of malaria preventive tools being used by people. The average monthly expenditure on malaria prevention per household was 55.55 Naira ($0.4). More than 80% of the respondent had never purchased any form of untreated mosquito net. People mostly preferred centralized community-based sales of the ITNS, with installment payments.


CONCLUSIONS
People were knowledgeable about malaria and the beneficial effects of using nets to protect themselves from the disease. The mostly preferred community-based distribution of ITNs implies that the strategy is a potential untapped additional channel for scaling-up ITNs in Nigeria and possibly other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Onwujekwe
Obinna
O
Department of Health Administration and Management, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Enugu-Campus, Nigeria. onwujekwe@yahoo.co.uk
Uzochukwu
Benjamin
B
Ezumah
Nkoli
N
Shu
Elvis
E
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001512:Bedding and Linens / Q000191:economics; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000191:economics; D009033:Culicidae / Q000469:parasitology; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000191:economics*; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009032:Mosquito Control / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000639:trends; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D007306:Insecticides