Malaria control practices among secondary school students in amassoma community

Background: Although there are lots of seemingly malaria preventive options, it remains a huge public health problem in Africa and particularly high in Nigeria by virtue of its endemicity and topography, which have strong affinity with temperature and rainfall. Objective: This article described, ascertained the factors and made recommendations of malaria control practices to secondary school students in Amassoma community. Method: Study design is quantitative and descriptive survey approach, given, the main object of the study was to provide relevant and accurate information that described the phenomenon under review-malaria control practices. Having obtained the sample size of 178 through Taro Yamen’s framework from SSS-1, 2 and 3 drawn from a population of 320 students. A simple random sampling technique was utilized to select the student sample with structured and validated instrument (questionnaire) was utilizedto obtained data. Data was manually presented and analysis were conducted through the use of simple frequency tables and percentages respectively. Findings: The findings indicate current class of study shows 70(39.3%) in SS1,60 (33.7%); SS2 and 48(27%) were in SS3. Again, respondents who utilized the use of mosquito spray, coils/repellantswere 88.8%; sleeping under insecticide treated nets 71.9%, wore protective clothes 89.9% at night as some of the common malaria control practices amongst others. But the use of these were more akin to certain personal and economic factors-fear 71.9%, lack of knowledge 43% finance 67.4% amongst others. Students` recommended control practices were: prompt treatment 88.8%, prophylactic drugs 84.3% and compliance 78.9% amongst others. Based on these findings, the study further recommended health education should form a key component in the general studies curriculum to ensure all students have adequate knowledge regarding malaria control practices to enable demystify fears of using any control practice.