Assessment of Insecticide Treated Net Use as a Means of Child Malaria Prevention in Katagum LGA, Bauchi State, Nigeria

Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) utilization possessed a great public health benefit, especially among the community with never ending malaria pandemic. Sustenance of ITNs practice in malaria endemic areas has a negative impact on the success and sustainability of its use as malaria prevention option. Indeed, ITNs reduced malaria related morbidity and mortality among children, if sustain. The study assessed the used of ITNs, as a means of malaria prevention, by exploring the level of awareness, knowledge and challenges confronting the utilization, focusing on children under the age of five, in Katagum Local Government Area (LGA), Bauchi state, Nigeria. Sixty (60) mothers of under five years children attending Matsango Primary Healthcare Centre in Azare town, Katagum LGA, Bauchi state, were conveniently selected as the respondents of the study. Structured questionnaire was administered to the respondents. The collated data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. 95% confirmed that awareness of ITN use influence its utilization, 55% said that ITN use offered direct malaria prevention effects, while 46% believed that the use of ITN make someone sweat, despite its malaria prevention potency. It was therefore concluded that appropriate health policies targeting the reduction of malaria related morbidity among the under-five children, should consider not only the ITNs availability for the household, but advocate the use of ITNs, through health education on the cause, transmission, symptoms, prevention, and control as a component of the ongoing efforts of malaria prevention programs among the mothers of children under the age of five.