Assessment of Knowledge on Malaria Diagnosis and Prevention: Exploring the Link between Awareness and Low Malaria Transmission Levels

This article evaluates the awareness of malaria diagnosis and prevention, emphasizing the link between understanding low malaria transmission and achieving elimination. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 600 staff from three medical institutions in Jos, Nigeria, between March and June 2023. Results showed that 97.33% of participants had heard of malaria, with hospital workers being the main information source (38%). Stagnant water was identified as the primary mosquito breeding site (80%), and fever with shivering/sweating was the most recognized symptom (45.33%). Notably, 66.67% of participants were unaware of low malaria transmission levels and associated elimination challenges. Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) emerged as the best-known prevention method (41.67%), while 63.33% were unaware of malaria vaccines. The study found significant positive correlations between awareness of low malaria transmission and malaria prevention (r _s = 0.225, P=0.001) and diagnosis (r _s = 0.403, P <0.001); (r _s = 0.330, P <0.001 ) across different institutions. The findings suggest that enhancing awareness of low malaria transmission could significantly improve knowledge of malaria diagnosis and prevention strategies, ultimately supporting elimination efforts.