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Introduction and Literature Review
Malaria is a public health problem today in more than 90 countries inhabited by a total of some 2,400 million people which constitute 40% of the world’s population. Worldwide prevalence of the disease is estimated to be in the order of 300-500 million clinical cases each year and more than 90% of all cases are in Sub – Saharan Africa (Paul, 2003).
Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) or long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are nets impregnated with synthetic pyrethroid insecticides that cover a person in bed, and are an effective tool for vector control (Ba kote’e, 2003). People have used bed nets as protection from various pests for decades, but they have only recently been employed as a strategy for malaria control. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2010) encourages pregnant women and young children, who are most at risk from malaria to use ITNs. Several studies have confirmed their efficacy at reducing mortality and morbidity in these two population groups (Ba kote’e, 2003).
About twenty-five million pregnant women were at risk for malaria, accounting for over 10,000 maternal and 200,000 neonatal deaths per year (Roll Back Malaria, 2005). In Cameroon, malaria is endemic in the 10 regions, with an estimated prevalence of 29% (Sumo et al., 2015).
