GOVERNANCE DIMENSIONS OF INSECTICIDE-TREATED BED NET USE AND MALARIA CONTROL AMONG RESIDENTS OF OBUDU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21380097Keywords:
Public Administration, Governance, Malaria Control, Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets, Community Attitude, Policy Implementation, Obudu LGA, Cross River StateAbstract
This study examined the governance dimensions of insecticide-treated bed net (ITN) use and malaria control among residents of Obudu Local Government Area (LGA), Cross River State, Nigeria. Anchored in public administration theory specifically governance theory, the Health Belief Model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior the study investigated three dimensions: the relationship between ITN availability and malaria control; the relationship between community knowledge of ITNs and malaria control; and the association between residents' attitudes toward ITN use and malaria control outcomes. Three research questions were posed and three hypotheses formulated. A correlational survey design was adopted. The study population comprised 112,450 adult residents of Obudu LGA, from which a sample of 399 was drawn using the Taro Yamane (1969) formula and multi-stage sampling. A structured questionnaire was validated and tested for reliability, yielding Cronbach Alpha coefficients ranging from .79 to .87. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test hypotheses one and two, while Chi-square (χ²) analysis was employed for hypothesis three. Findings revealed significant positive relationships between ITN availability and malaria control (r = .391, p < .05), knowledge of ITNs and malaria control (r = .374, p < .05), and a significant association between attitude towards ITN use and malaria control outcomes (χ² = 35.32, df = 1, p < .05). The study concludes that strengthening local government administrative capacity for ITN distribution, health education, and community behavioral change communication is critical to achieving sustainable malaria control in Obudu LGA and similar rural communities across Cross River State.
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.
Awubi, E. R., Ogbu, V. O., Ukwuije, C. B., Shebbs, E., Igile, G. O., Otu, A. E., ... & Esekpa, O. I. (2025). Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Rural Development (Poverty and Inequality in the Rural Area): A Study of Esukmbat and Esinufoteyamba in Edem Odo Clan of Akpabuyo Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria. Journal of Public Administration, Policy and Governance Research, 3(3), 250-263.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Cross River State Ministry of Health. (2022). Annual health sector performance report. Calabar: Cross River State Ministry of Health.
Dalrymple, U., Alipui, N., & Garner, P. (2020). The economic burden of malaria and the role of insecticide-treated nets in reducing disease transmission. Malaria Journal, 19(1), 1–10.
Federal Ministry of Health. (2014). National malaria strategic plan 2014–2020. Abuja: Federal Ministry of Health.
Gamble, C., Ekwaru, J. P., & Ter, K. (2017). Insecticide-treated nets and malaria prevention among vulnerable populations in Africa. International Journal of Tropical Disease and Health, 24(3), 1–12.
Gamboa, D., Ho, M. F., & Bendezu, J. (2022). Malaria prevention and control strategies in endemic communities. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 7(4), 55–68.
Hanson, K., Marchant, T., Nathan, R., Mponda, H., Jones, C., Bruce, J., & Schellenberg, J. A. (2017). Household ownership and use of insecticide-treated nets among target groups after implementation of a national voucher programme in the United Republic of Tanzania. Malaria Journal, 8(1), 1–10.
Lengeler, C. (2004). Insecticide-treated bed nets and curtains for preventing malaria. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2, CD000363.
Mushi, A. K., Schellenberg, J. R., Mponda, H., & Lengeler, C. (2017). Targeted subsidy for malaria control with treated nets using a discount voucher system in Tanzania. Health Policy and Planning, 18(2), 163–171.
National Bureau of Statistics. (2023). Demographic and socio-economic statistics report. Abuja: NBS.
National Malaria Elimination Programme. (2020). National malaria strategic plan 2021–2025. Abuja: NMEP.
National Population Commission. (2024). Population estimates for local government areas in Nigeria. Abuja: NPC.
Noor, A. M., Kirui, V. C., Brooker, S. J., & Snow, R. W. (2017). The use of insecticide-treated nets by age: Implications for universal coverage in Africa. BMC Public Health, 9(1), 369–378.
Pierre, J., & Peters, B. G. (2000). Governance, politics and the state. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
Pressman, J. L., & Wildavsky, A. (1973). Implementation: How great expectations in Washington are dashed in Oakland. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Ranson, H., N'Guessan, R., Lines, J., Moiroux, N., Nkuni, Z., & Corbel, V. (2011). Pyrethroid resistance in African anopheline mosquitoes: What are the implications for malaria control? Trends in Parasitology, 27(2), 91–98.
Richard A. E., Onah O. G,, Agi A. E., (2025). Public perception of fuel subsidy removal: myths and realities. Faculty of Social Sciences 1st International Hybrid Conference, 1(1); 159-161
Richard, A. E., & Azu, S. A. (2021). Development Administration and the Strategies of Development Policies in Nigeria. International Journal of Public Administration and Management Research, 6(4), 36-43.
Rosenstock, I. M. (1974). Historical origins of the health belief model. Health Education Monographs, 2(4), 328–335.
Taro Yamane. (1969). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). New York: Harper and Row.
World Health Organization. (2019). World malaria report 2019. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization. (2020). World malaria report 2020: 20 years of global progress and challenges. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization. (2022). World malaria report 2022. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization. (2024). World malaria report 2024. Geneva: WHO.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Awubi, Emmanuel Richard, Victoria Utitofon Inuaesiet, James, Runyi Daniel (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (CC BY 4.0 deed)
