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Community Knowledge, Perceptions and Experiences on Healthcare Services for Malaria Prevention and Treatment in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

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Abstract

This paper analyses community knowledge, perceptions, and experiences of effectiveness of healthcare service provision on malaria prevention/treatment in two disease-endemic villages of the Okavango Delta panhandle in northern Botswana. A stratified random sampling of 355 households was conducted in October–November 2015. Follow-up retrospective cohort interviews were undertaken in August 2016 from 79 households that reported malaria incidences during the household survey. Data were also collected from 16 key informant interviews and 2 focus group discussions participants. Descriptive statistics and content analyses were used to summarise quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Results indicate that communities in the study sites had positive perceptions about efficiency of health services based on availability, accessibility and utilization, adequacy of prevention and treatment interventions. Local health clinics were crucial information channels used by respondents. Additionally, factors related to acceptability, availability and accessibility are likely to contribute to perceived effectiveness of the interventions provided by healthcare service providers. Affirmation of efficiency health service provision against malaria has public health implications for adherence to treatment/prevention and participation in community health education campaigns and program implementation in the Okavango Delta region.

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Data Availability

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.

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Funding

The study was funded through the regional project: Social, Environmental and Climate change Impacts of Vector-borne diseases in Arid areas of Southern Africa. The funding was provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO/IDRC), Project Number HQTDR1207657.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Private Bag 285, Maun, Botswana

    Dirontsho Maphane, Barbara N. Ngwenya, Oluwatoyin D. Kolawole, Moseki R. Motsholapheko & Vincent Pagiwa

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  1. Dirontsho Maphane
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  2. Barbara N. Ngwenya
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  3. Oluwatoyin D. Kolawole
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  4. Moseki R. Motsholapheko
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  5. Vincent Pagiwa
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study, data analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article and revising it critically for important intellectual content, final approval of the version to be published and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vincent Pagiwa.

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The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

Ethical Approval

Ethical clearance was issued by the Ngami District Health Management Team’s Ethics Review Board (Reference Number: M6/50/12I).

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An informed consent was given before data collection process and confidentiality of participants assured. Participants signed a consent form to participate in the study.

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Participants consented the results of this study can be published, and their identity remains anonymous.

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Maphane, D., Ngwenya, B.N., Kolawole, O.D. et al. Community Knowledge, Perceptions and Experiences on Healthcare Services for Malaria Prevention and Treatment in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. J Community Health 48, 325–337 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-022-01172-7

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