Local knowledge and treatment of malaria in Agusan del Sur, The Philippines

Information about local knowledge of malaria, its transmission, treatment a nd prevention were gathered at the outset of a Malaria Control Program in o rder to incorporate this information into community interventions. Data wer e collected using focus groups and indepth interviews with caretakers of ch ildren who had had a recent episode of malaria. These were supplemented as baseline data through a survey and the ongoing participation of researchers in the intervention. Local knowledge of malaria was influenced by clinical diagnosis and was based on the co-existence of signs of illness. People co nventionally self-medicated or used herbs for symptomatic relief prior to s eeking clinical diagnosis and treatment, with treatment delay influenced by the logistic difficulties within the region, direct and indirect costs ass ociated with treatment seeking, and delays in the return of results once a blood aim for diagnosis was made. People were familiar with mosquito contro l activities conducted by the Malaria Control Service and, as a result, mos t respondents associated malaria with mosquitos. However, the role of the m osquito as the sore vector, and the means by which malaria was transmitted, were not well appreciated, (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.