Table 4.
Treatment-seeking behaviour and drug of choice for malaria symptoms (N = 607)
| Frequency (n) |
Proportion (%) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Steps of treatment before visiting health provider (can give multiple answers) | ||
| Use remaining drugs at home | 245 | 40.4 |
| Do nothing | 214 | 35.3 |
| Buy over-the-counter drugs (pharmacy/kiosk/etc.) | 103 | 17.0 |
| Herbal treatments | 59 | 9.7 |
| Blood letting | 26 | 4.3 |
| Others (pray, drink, get warm, apply wet cloth, etc.) | 32 | 5.3 |
| Time of visit to health provider | ||
| Same day as onset of symptoms | 44 | 7.2 |
| Day after onset of symptoms | 131 | 21.6 |
| Two days or more after onset of symptoms | 425 | 70.0 |
| Do not remember | 6 | 1.0 |
| First choice of health provider | ||
| Public health centre | 415 | 68.4 |
| Malaria control clinic* | 138 | 22.7 |
| Private clinics/private practice | 17 | 2.8 |
| General hospital | 6 | 1.0 |
| Caritas hospital* | 21 | 3.5 |
| Others (over-the-counter drugs, community health worker, etc.) | 8 | 1.3 |
| Do not know | 2 | 0.3 |
| First choice of drug ( can give multiple answers) | ||
| Blue drugs | 537 | 88.5 |
| Brown drugs [without blue drugs] | 334 [21] | 55.0 [3.5] |
| Green drugs | 64 | 10.5 |
| Yellow drugs | 136 | 22.4 |
| Primaquine | 46 | 7.6 |
| Spleen drugs | 7 | 1.2 |
| Small drugs | 24 | 4.0 |
| Paracetamol | 111 | 18.3 |
| White drugs | 149 | 24.5 |
| Chloroquine/quinine | 11 | 1.8 |
| Antibiotics | 4 | 0.7 |
| Supplements/vitamins | 7 | 1.2 |
| Herbal e.g., papaya leaves, cat’s whiskers, … | 56 | 9.2 |
| Use of herbal medication | ||
| Oral/topical, complementary to medical drug | 46 | 7.6 |
*Funded by the mining company; free healthcare for seven ethnic groups directly affected by mining operations