CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Malaria has long been a source of concern around the world, notably in Nigeria, due to its tropical environment. Millions of people died in 2012 as a result of this avoidable and treatable disease, with more than half of the world’s population still at danger (Amajor, 2011). Malaria is spread in Nigeria by both behavioral and non-behavioral mechanisms. Some cultural practices that encourage mosquito breeding and access to people, as well as at-risk populations’ failure to use technologies required for effective malaria treatment, control, and prevention in a timely and appropriate manner, have been blamed for the continued prevalence of malaria in these areas.

The problem was exacerbated, according to Corcoran (2007), by the rise of parasites and vectors that are resistant to treatments and insecticides. As a result, Nigeria’s geographical or ecological conditions have been promoted as being particularly favorable to mosquitoes and, as a result, plasmodia predominance. In order to create an effective malaria intervention program in Nigeria, it is equally necessary to understand the dynamics and repercussions of these aspects.

Malaria prevention and control are best accomplished with an integrated strategy that includes first-line medications, case management, indoor residual spraying (IRS), and the use of insecticide-treated nets as a malaria-endemic country with statistics showing that malaria cases have increased significantly over the years (ITN). According to (Corcoran, 2007), All persons at risk should use ITNs and indoor residual spraying, and the impact of ITNs on malaria control has been well documented, with reports indicating that population coverage of ITNs of more than 70% reduces clinical malaria and all-cause death in children by 15% to 30% in Nigeria. Insecticide-treated nets have been found to lower mortality in studies. The poorest populations bear the brunt of the malaria burden, according to Amajor (2011), since they typically lack basic information on the origins, impacts, and financial capacity to pay for treatment and preventative measures. There are demographic and gender factors that are less commonly highlighted, in addition to socioeconomic and behavioral challenges. A lack of understanding and awareness of a problem.

In Nigeria, public media campaigns have been used to inform individuals, particularly pregnant women, about the advantages of wearing ITNs on a daily basis. Print and electronic media have been widely used in behavioral change messaging in many developing countries. Health literacy (through community drama and religious organizations), paper (poster, billboard, newspaper), and digital (television, radio) media have all been proven to be key vehicles for the transfer of health knowledge and have been researched as public health behavior modification techniques.

According to Diala (2013), mass media efforts have been initiated to educate the general public, particularly pregnant women, on the effectiveness and long-term benefits of utilizing ITNs in order to increase their use and acceptance. During pregnancy, do things correctly and consistently. Messages from the mass media campaign were broadcast in English, Pidgin English, and Nigeria’s three major local languages on national radio and television stations. In addition, to increase access to accurate information, billboards with unambiguous statements on the link between mosquitos and malaria prevention were put in important regions surrounding Nigeria’s major cities. Posters were made using statements on billboards and handbills that were widely distributed around the country (Amodu, Adeyemo, Olumese & Gbadegesin, 1998). However, data for African countries is patchy, and little is known about the impact of mass media on malaria prevention behaviors including antimalarial medicine use during pregnancy and ITN use.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The efforts undertaken so far in Nigeria to battle malaria utilizing public media campaigns, both by the government and commercial entities, are commendable. However, it appears that there is a considerable gap in public awareness created by the usage of mainstream media. This, according to Amodu, Adeyemo, Olumese, and Gbadegesin (1998), is attributable to the fact that the disease has remained a severe health concern in the country despite vast human and financial resources poured in the attempt. As a result, the need for strategic communication to address the obstacles to various courses of action’s success and to keep people better informed about the way out has become increasingly apparent. C. Diala (2013) stated that it is important to remember that community engagement is required for many malaria control measures to be successful, which is dependent on people’s knowledge and awareness of the illness. This raises the question of whether media awareness messages or anti-disease programs are being disseminated to Nigerians adequately. More importantly, there is concern about how we can use communication media to improve the process of malaria healthcare delivery; as a result, the goal of this project is to find answers to these questions. The study focused on Malaria Messages in the Mass Media and Their Impact on the Use of Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets among Abia State Residents, as well as what may be done to enhance it.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major goal of this study is to evaluate malaria messages in the media and their impact on the use of insecticide-treated bed nets among Abia State inhabitants. The following are some of the other objectives of this research:

1. Determine citizens of Abia State’s perceptions toward malaria-related messages in the media.

2. To determine the challenges that mass media outlets face in their anti-malaria campaigns.

3. To assess the influence of insecticide-treated bed nets on malaria transmission.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following are the research questions:

1. How do citizens of Abia State feel about malaria messages in the media?

2. What are the problems facing news organizations in their anti-malaria campaigns?

3. What are the effects of insecticide-treated bed nets on malaria transmission?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The benefits of adopting ITNs and malaria control will be explored in this study, which will be very useful to the health sector and its officials. It will also be significant for the media sector, since it will demonstrate its influence and impact on anti-malaria campaigns, with the goal of pushing them to broadcast more malaria-related content. The result of the study will be beneficial to the society as it will show the effects of using ITNs hence would enable masses to adjust lifestyle that exposes them malaria disease. The study will add to the body of knowledge and act as a reference for researchers and students interested in conducting additional research in a similar topic.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research will be conducted in a few localities in Abia State. The impact of malaria messaging in the media on the use of insecticide-treated bed nets among residents of Aba North Local Government, Abia State, will be examined in this study. The study will go deeper into Abia residents’ attitudes regarding adopting insecticide-treated nets. The study, however, is limited to residents of the Osisioma Ngwa Local Government in Abia State.

 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

As a result, the results of this study will be limited to people of Aba North Local Government Area in Abia State, and they will not be applicable outside of this area. This research will be limited to mass media campaigns and the usage of ITNs. It will not devote any resources to anti-malaria campaigns.

Financial restrictions arose during the course of this investigation. This is a shortcoming of this research.

 DEFINITION OF TERMS:

The term “mass media” refers to technology that is designed to reach a large number of people.

Malaria is a recurrent and intermittent fever caused by a protozoan parasite that infects red blood cells and is spread by mosquitos in many tropical and subtropical areas.

Messages: a spoken, written, or recorded communication conveyed to or left for someone who can’t be reached directly.

The term “impact” refers to a significant effect or influence.

Insecticide is a chemical that is used to kill insects.

A person who resides in a place on a permanent or long-term basis is referred to as a resident.

REFERENCES

“Prevalence of malaria parasite infection among pregnant women,” by Adefioye, O. A. Adeyeba, W. O. Hassan, and O. A. Oyeniran.

C. Amajor, C. Amajor, C. Amajor, C (2011).

Malaria Control Program in the United States. [Online] http://nmcpnigeria.org/ is a website where you can learn more about NMCP Nigeria (May 29, 2012).

Adeyemo, A. Olumese, P. Gbadegesin, R. Amodu, O. Adeyemo, A. Adeyemo, A. Adeyemo, A. Adeyemo, A. Adeyemo, A. Ad (1998). Children’s malaria clinical severity and intraleucocytic malaria pigment. 54-56 in Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg.

N. Corcoran, N. Corcoran, N. Corcoran, N (2007). In communicating health messages, theories and models are used. [Online] 13975 Corcoran Chapter 1.pdf is available at www.corwin.com/upmdata/13975 Corcoran Chapter 1.pdf (July 23, 2013).

Department for International Development (DFID) and United Kingdom Aid (UKaid) (2010). Evidence on Malaria Burden and Interventions. [Online] r4d.dfid.gov.uk/Output/185824/Default.aspx r4d.dfid.gov.uk/Output/185824/Default.aspx (28 July 2014).

“Prevalence of malaria parasite infection among pregnant women,” by Adefioye, O. A. Adeyeba, W. O. Hassan, and O. A. Oyeniran.

C. Amajor, C. Amajor, C. Amajor, C (2011).

Malaria Control Program in the United States. [Online] http://nmcpnigeria.org/ is a website where you can learn more about NMCP Nigeria (May 29, 2012).

Adeyemo, A. Olumese, P. Gbadegesin, R. Amodu, O. Adeyemo, A. Adeyemo, A. Adeyemo, A. Adeyemo, A. Adeyemo, A. Ad (1998). Children’s malaria clinical severity and intraleucocytic malaria pigment. 54-56 in Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg.

N. Corcoran, N. Corcoran, N. Corcoran, N (2007). In communicating health messages, theories and models are used. [Online] 13975 Corcoran Chapter 1.pdf is available at www.corwin.com/upmdata/13975 Corcoran Chapter 1.pdf (July 23, 2013).

Department for International Development (DFID) and United Kingdom Aid (UKaid) (2010). Evidence on Malaria Burden and Interventions. [Online] r4d.dfid.gov.uk/Output/185824/Default.aspx r4d.dfid.gov.uk/Output/185824/Default.aspx (28 July 2014).

Leave a Comment