THE EFFECT OF MALARIA ON INFANT MORTALITY IN MAKOKO COMMUNITY, YABA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LAGOS STATE

ABSTRACT

Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in children under 5 years. The disease ranks number one in both outpatient and inpatient statistics. The socio-economic impact of malaria is so high that it contributes highly to poverty and underdevelopment.

Malaria control and elimination interventions have been scaled up and intensified as the current efforts to attain World Health Assembly, Roll Back Malaria, and Millennium development targets, to reduce and interrupt disease transmission. The major malaria intervention tools now include: The use of long-lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN), Artemisinin-based Combination therapy (ACT), Indoor Residual Spraying of insecticide (IRS), and Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Pregnancy (IPT). Despite these interventions the prevalence remains high among the under five children hence this study.This study examines the connection between the occurrence of malaria and the occurrence of death among infants in Makoko Community, Yaba Local Government, Lagos State. To achieve the central objective of the study, empirical quantitative data from makoko community were used. Findings of the study shows that malaria status in makoko community is high, but it is not necessarily the cause of infant mortality as there exist a combination of other causes of death among infants in the community. Also the people are aware of the ownership and use of Insecticide Treated nets (ITNs) and Indoor Residual Spray (IRS).