Using "mother trainers" for malaria control: the Nigerian experience.

Area of Science:

• Community Health
• Global Health
• Malaria Treatment

Background:

• Home-based malaria treatment in Nigeria is often incorrect due to poor caregiver knowledge.
• There is a need to empower households with accurate malaria treatment protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empower households to treat malaria correctly through community-based training.
• To assess the effectiveness and acceptability of using 'mother trainers' for malaria treatment education.

Main Methods:

• Selected mothers were trained as 'mother trainers' to educate their communities on malaria treatment.
• The study evaluated the acceptability, effectiveness, and participation of these 'mother trainers'.

Main Results:

• 'Mother trainers' were generally accepted and found to be effective in their communities.
• Participation positively impacted the trainers' self-esteem and social status.
• A dropout rate of 24.2% was observed among the 'mother trainers'.

Conclusions:

• Mothers, when appropriately selected, trained, and supervised, demonstrate significant potential for effective community health education.
• The 'mother trainer' model is a viable strategy for improving home-based malaria treatment practices.