title: Community effectiveness of artemisinin-based combination therapy for malaria in rural southwestern Nigeria.
abstract: A descriptive cross sectional survey using an interviewer-administered questionnaire was carried out among 700 caregivers whose children had fever during the previous two weeks. The aim was to determine the community effectiveness of malaria treatment using arthemeter-lumefantrine (AL) among under-5-year-olds in a rural community in southwestern Nigeria. A total of 353 (50.9%) children received AL. About half of these children (49%) were said to have been treated within 24 hours of onset of symptoms; 44% took the drug for the stipulated period of time; 42% received the correct dosage; and only 4% received all the treatment steps. With a drug efficacy of 100%, AL achieved a community effectiveness of 4%. The greatest effort in the home management of malaria strategy should be in reducing delay in treatment and improving dosage and duration of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, medical Statistics and Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. bidemi_yusuf@yahoo.com
authors.forename: O B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Yusuf
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Falade
authors.forename: I O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Ajayi
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Gbotosho
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Happi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pagnoni