STATUS OF MALARIA AND UTILIZATION OF INSECTICIDE TREATED BED NETS AMONG RURAL PEOPLE IN WACHUGE VILLAGES, META WOREDA, EAST HARARGE ZONE, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Human malaria is a common and life-threatening disease in many tropical and sub tropical areas. Consequently, malaria epidemics are serious public health emergencies. ITNs are the most powerful malaria control tool. The utilization of ITNs is still unacceptably low among rural people. The objectives of the present study were: to assess the prevalence of malaria, to determine the predominant Plasmodium species among in the study participants and to assess peoples’ knowledge about utilization of ITNs among rural people in Wachuge villages. Community based cross sectional study was conducted and systemic random sampling method was used to select 403 study participants for questionnaire and parasitological blood examination. Study conducted during May-June 2015 in Wachuge villages, Meta Woreda, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Clinical records of malaria were used to analyses the trends of malaria in last five years (2010-2014) records were obtained from the health centre of study area. Diagnosis of malaria infection was done by microscopic examination of thick and thin Giemsa stained blood smears for the presence of malaria parasite and plasmodium species. Additionally structured and pre-tested questionnaires were used to assess the socio demographic characteristics, respondents’ knowledge about ITNs utilization and knowledge about malaria in the study area. The result obtained showed that, 75.7% of study participants had ITNs, the knowledge about utilization of ITNs was not higher only 51.6% of study participants scored above 50% of assessment questions about their knowledge of ITNs utilization and study participants knowledge about sign and symptoms of malaria was high among study participants. Microscopic examination of blood showed that, the prevalence of malaria parasite was 11(2.7%) in study area and P. Vivax and P. Falciparum were the dominant malaria parasites accounts for (1.7%) and (1.0%) respectively in the study population. More males were infected than females. Data obtained from the health centre record about malaria outpatients in study area showed that malaria infections were found almost throughout every year and months