BEHAVIOURAL PERCEPTION TOWARDS MALARIA HEALTH INSURANCE WITH OUTDOOR MOSQUITOES’ COMMUNITY FUMIGATION IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Malaria is a preventable disease caused by female Anopheles mosquitoes, which has made the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) and the use of indoor residual spraying (IRS) a common practice among households in this part of the world. Despite these practices, the incidence of mosquito infection remains undefeated. In consideration of this demeanour, this study seeks to examine the behavioural perception towards malaria health insurance with outdoor mosquitoes’ community fumigation in Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 30 individual in-depth interviews were performed with selected stakeholders in two local governments with the highest incidence of malaria in the state. The study employed the theory of reasoned action and planned behaviour by Ajzen and Fishbein (1975 to develop a thematic method of analysis employed in the study with the use of NVivo software. The result indicates that the majority of the respondents showed positive attitudes, while the majority of them perceived that the program would be effective in eradicating mosquitoes and reducing the incidence of malaria in the community. It was recommended that the Nigerian government and private parastatals should improve and facilitate the establishment of malaria health insurance with routine outdoor mosquito community fumigation, with proper inclusion in the national malaria elimination program.