Self-medication of Malaria, gaps in access and health coverage in the Charamusca location, Esquías, Comayagua Honduras

Abstract

The article’s objective was to reflect on the Social Determinants of Health (SDH), related to the Malaria approach in the community of Charamusca in Esquías in the Comayagua department. The methodological approach is of a cross-sectional descriptive type with the use of the Likert-type scales to measure the health attitudes and abilities in the malaria treatment. Questions were made to evaluate the knowledge appropriation degree, of the population´s skills and practices around this disease, the variables results were examined using the Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The analysis unit was the people of the already mentioned community, and the knowledge, skills and attitudes about Malaria. The sample was selected by Stratified Probabilistic Sampling. It was found that three out of four of the responders, said that the neighbor's advice on fever (presumably caused by malaria) is a predominant factor in their treatment decision. Most of the residents interviewed associate the fever symptom with malaria and decide to purchase acetaminophen as the drug to control this sign, also most of the responders confirmed that they have confidence in the control drugs distributed by nearby public health unit. It was found that malaria prevention campaigns have low efficiency rates in the community; neighbors and family members advice mostly determine malarias self-medication decisions in the community, there is confidence in the malaria drugs treatment offered by the Ministry of Health.