GENDER ASPECTS AND WOMENS PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENTOF MALARIA IN CENTRAL SUDAN

This work was designed to study the contribution of women in central S udan in the control and management of malaria with particular emphasis on gender-related aspects that define women's role and participation. The Blue Nile Health Project (BNHP 1980-1990) was launched in 1980 ma inly for control of water associated diseases in central Sudan. The BN HP model was chosen to conduct this work. The study showed that women were actively involved in the implementation of the BNHP strategies as health instructors (murshidat) who constituted 75% of the staff of BN HP unit of health education, as members of village health committees ( VHC) where they constituted 40% of the VHC members and also as recipie nts of the project services. All murshidat were interviewed whereas mu ltistage random sampling for VHC members and recipient women in 40 vil lages was used to select a sample which was interviewed. The results s howed that the murshidat and VHC women members played a major role in the motivation, organization and health education of local communities prior to campaigns of environmental sanitation and vector control. Ho usehold commitments and difficulties in communication with the public were the main gender-related factors that contributed negatively to wo men's activities. Cases of malaria have more considerable socio-econom ic impact than other common diseases, especially with regard to women' s household commitments and work. Recipient women were more concerned with aspects of self protection, management of family cases of malaria and health education programmes. They were less involved in drying mo squito breeding sites and spraying activities of insecticides which ha d been reluctantly accepted because of allergy and bad odour. Although the majority of women considered antimalarials to be less harmful tha n effects of malaria itself on pregnancy, they did not realize the rol e of malaria chemoprophylaxis during pregnancy. This needs more health education. The study showed that the BNHP programme was very successf ul in recruiting women in control and management programmes. Therefore , health planners are urged to persuade the subordinated communities o f women in many African countries like Sudan to play a more active rol e in the health programmes and welfare of their communities. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd