Abstract

Objective: Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is founded on the principle of recognizing community members as equal research partners in order to best understand and address their health needs. Recognizing the scarcity of CBPR in global malaria elimination efforts, this study trained youth in Lira, Uganda to collect data on self-reported malaria prevalence, access to prevention tools, and perceptions around behaviors to prevent malaria in their local communities.

Methods: Recruited Youth Public Health Ambassadors (YPHA) received training through comprehensive workshops on public health topics such as WASH, vector borne diseases, and public health surveillance techniques. YPHAs distributed long lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) and collected data from 512 households on malaria behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes. Results from the surveys were analyzed using Qualtrics, Microsoft Excel, and SPSS software.

Results: Households reported owning fewer mosquito nets per household than recommended by the WHO, with only 5.71% of households of >9 people reporting an adequate number of nets. Most respondents recognized the value of sleeping under net, but reported barriers to doing so. Households in Aromo subcounty were 70% more likely to report using nets in the past 7 days than households in Ayami. Households with pregnant females were more likely to report using nets in the preceding week, with their odds increased by 63% compared to households with non-pregnant members. Households reporting sleeping under nets as “not effective” were 75% less likely to use nets in the past 7 days compared to those who reported sleeping under nets as “effective.”

Conclusion: The data highlight the need for improved access to LLINs, especially in homes with pregnant women/young children, and for further community discussions on barriers to net use. It supports CBPR’s pivotal role in empowering affected communities to minimize the burden of malaria in northern Uganda.

Keywords: CBPR; Plasmodium; Mosquito net; Insectic