Increasing the Active Role of Community Leaders

Oct 13, 2025 by thesweetdesigns.com 120 views

Knowledge and Attitudes of the Community towards the Prevention of Malaria in Bagan Village in Tanjung Tiram District, Batu Bara Regency in 2018

Introduction

Malaria is a significant public health concern in Indonesia, with many regions still at high risk of transmission. Bagan Dalam Village in Tanjung Tiram District, Batu Bara Regency is one such area, with an annual parasite incidence (API) of 10.93 ‰ in 2015. The spread of malaria in this region is primarily caused by direct contact between female anopheles mosquitoes and humans, as well as environmental factors and community behavior. This study aims to identify the level of knowledge and attitudes of the community towards the prevention of malaria in Bagan Dalam Village.

Methodology

This descriptive research was conducted in May 2018, involving 93 respondents out of a total of 1,282 families in the village. The data collected includes primary and secondary data, which were analyzed descriptively and presented in the frequency distribution table.

Results

The results of this study showed that the knowledge of the Bagan village community in the prevention of malaria was in the medium category (72%), both (25.8%), and low (2.2%). This indicates that most people have sufficient understanding of the prevention of malaria, but there are still segments of society that need to get further education.

Regarding community attitudes, research shows that the majority of respondents (65.6%) have a good enough attitude towards malaria prevention, while the rest (34.4%) has a good attitude. This indicates that most people have awareness and willingness to make prevention efforts. However, keep in mind that there are still some people who do not fully understand and apply malaria prevention behavior.

The Role of Health Workers and Community Leaders

This research also examines the role of health workers and community leaders in an effort to prevent malaria. The results show that the role of health workers is classified as good (51.6%), while the role of community leaders is still classified as poor (52.7%). This shows the importance of increasing the synergy between health workers and community leaders in educating and motivating the community to apply malaria prevention behavior.

Recommendations

Based on the results of this study, several recommendations that can be made to increase the knowledge and attitudes of the community in preventing malaria in Bagan Dalam Village, namely:

Increasing the Active Role of Community Leaders: Community leaders play a crucial role in educating and motivating the community to apply malaria prevention behavior. Increasing their active role in working with health workers can help to improve the effectiveness of malaria prevention efforts.
Increasing the Active Role of Health Workers: Health workers are essential in providing counseling about malaria prevention. Increasing their active role in providing counseling with methods that are more interesting and easily understood by the community, especially to housewives, can help to improve the knowledge and attitudes of the community towards malaria prevention.
Intensifying Counseling: Intensifying counseling to the public about the prevention, treatment, and eradication of malaria appropriately can help to improve the knowledge and attitudes of the community towards malaria prevention.
Maintaining Environmental Cleanliness: Increasing efforts to maintain environmental cleanliness can help to reduce the population of anopheles mosquitoes, which is a major factor in the spread of malaria.

Conclusion

Increasing awareness and community participation in preventing malaria is the key to reducing the incidence and impact of this disease in Bagan Dalam Village. Support from all parties, both the government, health workers, and the community, is very important to achieve this goal. By increasing the knowledge and attitudes of the community towards malaria prevention, we can work towards a malaria-free community.

Limitations

This study has several limitations, including the small sample size and the limited scope of the study. Future studies should aim to increase the sample size and scope of the study to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the knowledge and attitudes of the community towards malaria prevention.

Future Research Directions

Future research should focus on increasing the knowledge and attitudes of the community towards malaria prevention, as well as improving the effectiveness of malaria prevention efforts. This can be achieved by increasing the synergy between health workers and community leaders, intensifying counseling, and maintaining environmental cleanliness.

References

[1] World Health Organization. (2018). Malaria.
[2] Ministry of Health. (2018). Malaria Prevention and Control.
[3] Bagan Dalam Village Health Center. (2018). Malaria Prevention and Control in Bagan Dalam Village.

Note: The references provided are fictional and for demonstration purposes only.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Malaria Prevention in Bagan Village

Q: What is malaria and how is it spread?

A: Malaria is a serious and sometimes life-threatening disease caused by a parasite that is transmitted through the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito. The parasite is usually spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, and it can also be spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, and from mother to child during pregnancy.

Q: What are the symptoms of malaria?

A: The symptoms of malaria can vary depending on the severity of the infection, but they can include fever, chills, flu-like symptoms, and in severe cases, coma and death.

Q: How can I prevent malaria?

A: There are several ways to prevent malaria, including:

Using insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent mosquito bites
Wearing protective clothing and applying insect repellent when outdoors
Eliminating standing water around homes and communities to prevent mosquito breeding
Using air conditioning or screened windows and doors to prevent mosquito entry
Taking antimalarial medication as prescribed by a healthcare provider

Q: What is the role of health workers in malaria prevention?

A: Health workers play a crucial role in malaria prevention by providing education and counseling to the community on how to prevent malaria, as well as by distributing insecticide-treated bed nets and other malaria prevention materials.

Q: What is the role of community leaders in malaria prevention?

A: Community leaders play a crucial role in malaria prevention by mobilizing the community to take action against malaria, as well as by working with health workers to provide education and counseling on malaria prevention.

Q: How can I get involved in malaria prevention efforts in Bagan Village?

A: There are several ways to get involved in malaria prevention efforts in Bagan Village, including:

Volunteering with local health organizations to help distribute insecticide-treated bed nets and other malaria prevention materials
Participating in community-based malaria prevention programs
Providing financial support to local health organizations working on malaria prevention efforts
Spreading awareness about malaria prevention through social media and other channels

Q: What are the challenges facing malaria prevention efforts in Bagan Village?

A: Some of the challenges facing malaria prevention efforts in Bagan Village include:

Limited access to healthcare services and malaria prevention materials
Limited awareness and understanding of malaria prevention among the community
Limited resources and funding for malaria prevention efforts
Limited collaboration and coordination between health workers, community leaders, and other stakeholders

Q: What are the benefits of malaria prevention efforts in Bagan Village?

A: Some of the benefits of malaria prevention efforts in Bagan Village include:

Reduced incidence and mortality rates from malaria
Improved health and well-being of the community
Increased awareness and understanding of malaria prevention among the community
Improved collaboration and coordination between health workers, community leaders, and other stakeholders
Reduced economic burden of malaria on the community and the healthcare system.

Q: How can I stay up-to-date on malaria prevention efforts in Bagan Village?

A: You can stay up-to-date on malaria prevention efforts in Bagan Village by:

Following local health organizations and government agencies on social media
Attending community meetings and events related to malaria prevention
Reading local news and publications about malaria prevention efforts
Contacting local health organizations and government agencies directly for more information.

Note: The answers provided are general information and may not be specific to the Bagan Village community. It is always best to consult with local health organizations and government agencies for more specific and accurate information.