Effectiveness and Compliance of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) on Malaria Parasitemia among Pregnant Women attending Antenatal Clinics in Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Aim: To determine the effectiveness and compliance of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) on malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics.
Study Design: Cross sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Rivers State, Nigeria, between April and September 2011.
Methodology: Thick and thin blood films were made and stained using parasitological standard procedures to identify malaria parasites. Questionnaires were distributed to collect personal data of the pregnant women examined. Data gotten was analyzed with Chi-square test of significance.
Results: A total of 400 pregnant women were examined, 317(79%) used LLINs with 29(9.1%) positive for malaria parasites while 83(21%) did not use LLINs with 75(90.4%) positive for malaria parasites (P<0.05). Pregnant women in their first, second and third trimesters that used LLINs had prevalence rates of 5.3%, 12.2% and 11.5% respectively while those that did not use LLINs had prevalence rates of 89.1%, 94.1% and 90.9% respectively (P<0.05). Primigraviidae, secundigraviidae and multiparous women who used LLINs had prevalence rates of 10.3%, 8.7% and 5.9% while those who did not use LLINs had prevalence rates of 95.8%, 89.5% and 75% respectively (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The usage of LLINs in reducing malaria parasitaemia among pregnant women was statistically significant (P<0.05) irrespective of parity and gestation period.