Table 5. Care-seeking patterns for children (n = 12) with severe malaria admitted at Mtwara Regional hospital.

Cases	DAY 1 of illness	DAY 2 of illness	DAY 3 of illness	DAY 4 of illness	DAY ≥5 of illness
12.	HOME/HOSPITAL: Vacant gaze, no verbal response, fever, vomiting
13.	HOME/HOSPITAL: Hot body, convulsions, lethargy
10.	HOME: Hot body, vomiting, shivering, swelling of lower limbs	PHC: Lethargy, anaemia, hot body, vomiting	HOSPITAL: Hot body, lethargy, convulsions.
7.	HOME: Diarrhoea, fever	HOME: Fever, vomiting	HOME/HOSPITAL: Fever, convulsions, lethargy, vomiting
8.	HOME: Hot body, lethargy	HOME: lethargy, vomiting	PHC & HOSPITAL: Convulsions, lethargy, pallor
4.	HOME: Hot body, vomiting	HOME: Hot body	HOME: Hot body	Thealer/HOSPITAL Pallor
6.	HOME/PHC: Hot body, shivering, vomiting	HOME: Shivering, frightened, vomiting	HOME: Hot body, vomiting	PHC: Hot body, vomiting, lethargy	HOSPITAL: Hot body, vomiting, lethargy
2.	HOME: Hot body convulsions	HEALER: Hot body, convulsions	HEALER: Hot body, convulsions	HEALER: convulsions	PHC/HOSPITAL: Hot body convulsions
11.	PHC/HOSPITAL: Refusal to eat, fever, vomiting, convulsions.
1.	PHC: Hot body, vomiting, lethargy, delirium.	HOME/HOSPITAL: Convulsions
3.	PHC: Diarrhoea, hot body, cough, wheezes	HEALER: Swollen lower limbs, abdominal fullness, hot body	HEALER: Swollen lower limbs, abdominal fullness, hot body	HEALER/HOSPITAL: Swollen lower limbs, abdominal fullness, hot body
5.	PHC: Hot head, vomiting.	HOME: Hot head, hot body	HOME: Hot head, hot body	HOME: Hot head, hot body	PHC/HOSPITAL: Hot body, vomiting, Lethargy