Knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) regarding malaria and its prevention among patients with suspected malaria in Mangaluru

Background: Malaria continues to be a devastating disease in India and Mangaluru is endemic to malaria. The success of malaria control programmes has been directly proportional to the awareness in the community; hence this study has been conducted to assess patients’ knowledge, attitude and practices towards the disease and its prevention. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study. Patients with suspected malaria attending the District hospital were included in the study. A validated questionnaire developed by the authors examined the respondent’s knowledge, attitude and prevention practices towards malaria. Results: Majority of the participants (89%) showed a reasonable knowledge of malaria including its mode of transmission and symptoms. Majority of the study population (81%) considered malaria to be a serious health problem, thus reflecting their attitude to the disease. However, only a small proportion of the participants (21%) stated that they use preventive measures every day. Conclusions: Despite having a reasonable knowledge of malaria and its preventive measures, there was a stark lack in practice of these measures, which is distressing. There is an urgent need to implement strategies to motivate communities to use of the available preventive measures.