Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices for The Prevention of Malaria in Luanda, Angola

Author(s): Isabel Sobral, Marli Stela Santana

Malaria is a public health problem and is considered one of the diseases with the greatest humanitarian impact in developing countries, most of which are located in Africa, as in the case of Angola. There is a need to identify the factors underlying the maintenance of the endemicity of the disease, which motivated this research with the main objective of studying the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of individuals in relation to malaria control. A cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted with 540 patients assisted in four primary health care facilities in Luanda, the capital of Angola, in which a statistically significant association was observed between the level of education, ownership of property, and other variables. Among the respondents, the knowledge that malaria is a public health problem (p=0.01) was verified. It was also found that the lower the possession of assets, the more likely the population was to stop going to the health unit due to lack of money for transportation, consultation, and to receive the diagnosis of malaria (p=0.001). Therefore, most of the respondents showed adequate knowledge about malaria and policies and programs for malaria control, but their attitudes and practices may be influenced by the shortcomings found in public policies and socioeconomic challenges of the country.