ASSESSMENT OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE WORKERS’ KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES ON UNCOMPLICATED MALARIA MANAGEMENT IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Overcoming the scourge of malaria infection is possible when healthcare workers have good levels of understanding and attitudes towards the disease, which will influence their treatment practices. This study assessed healthcare workers’ levels of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in uncomplicated malaria treatment at primary healthcare (PHC) facilities in Plateau state, Nigeria. The study employed a cross-sectional KAP approach to extract related data from 289 trained healthcare workers in twenty-four (24) PHC facilities. A designed and validated self-reported instruments known as Healthcare Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Instrument for Uncomplicated Malaria (HKAPIUM) (Cronbach’s alpha reliability = 0.705) were filled and returned by respondents, and the descriptive statistics of the data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS^®) version 23 software. Most respondents were within 38 and 47 (37.0%), and 28 – 37 (28.0%) years of age, and the majority (73.4%) were female. Many of them (31.8%) were as community health extension workers (CHEW), with only 11.4% and 0.7% as laboratory and pharmacy technicians, respectively. Those with 8 – 13 years (34.6%) and ≥ 20 years (22.5%) of experience on the field were the highest in number, whereby most of them earned between 31,000 – 50,000 (26.6%) and ≥71,000 (24.6%) naira per month. Majority of the respondents (50.5%) showed moderate knowledge level on the disease and its management (mean (±SD) score = 6.87 (± 1.37)) while many of them (91.7%) had good positive attitudes (mean (±SD) score = 23.12 (± 2.06)) and good practices (83.7%) {mean (±SD) score = 13.32 (± 2.10)} towards uncomplicated malaria. The study concluded respondents overall possessed moderate knowledge, good positive attitudes, and practices on uncomplicated malaria treatment management and preventive practices.