Perceptions of malaria transmission, presentation and management in northern Cameroon

During early 2001, 1197 adult health service users in a poor rural district of northern Cameroon were interviewed in order to discover prevalent beliefs about malaria. The survey included questions about the name of the disease, its cause and transmission, signs and symptoms, cure, and local importance as a cause of sickness and death. Interviewees showed good understanding of the signs and symptoms of malaria, its importance, and its association with the rains. Most felt that either a medical or a herbal treatment could cure malaria. Only 1% identified mosquitoes as a source of transmission. Health education to explore beliefs and to correct misconceptions should precede and accompany the introduction of technological interventions in malaria control programmes in traditional societies.