BROADCAST MEDIA IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST MALARIA IN RURAL COMMUNITY
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BROADCAST MEDIA IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST MALARIA IN RURAL COMMUNITY
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND FOR THE STUDY
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects people and other animals. It is caused by parasite protozoans of the plasmodium type. Malaria symptoms usually include fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches.
In severe situations, it might result in yellow skin, seizures, a coma, or death. Symptoms usually appear ten to fifteen days following the bite. If not treated properly, people may experience recurrences of the disease months later.
Reinfection typically produces milder symptoms in persons who have recently recovered from an infection. If the person is not exposed to malaria on a regular basis for months or years, this partial resistance fades.
The disease is mostly transmitted by an infected female Anopheles mosquito. A mosquito bite delivers parasites from the mosquito’s saliva into a person’s blood (Beare, 2011). The parasites move to the liver, where they mature and multiply.
Humans are capable of infecting and spreading five Plasmodium species. P. falciparum is responsible for the majority of deaths, as P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae induce a milder form of malaria (Hartman, 2010). P. knowlesi rarely causes sickness in people.
Malaria is often detected through microscopic study of blood films or antigen-based fast diagnostic techniques. Methods for detecting the parasite’s DNA using the polymerase chain reaction have been developed, but they are not frequently employed in malaria-endemic areas due to their high cost and complexity (Collins, 2012).
According to Aguwa (2009), every minute, a child dies from malaria somewhere in the world. Every year, it infects roughly 219 million individuals (range 154 to 289 million), resulting in an estimated 660,000 deaths, the majority of which are children in Africa. Malaria kills 90% of children in Africa, accounting for around one out of every six deaths.
The condition also significantly contributes to anaemia in children, which is a key cause of poor growth and development. (Abou Zahr, 2009).
Malaria infection during pregnancy is linked to severe anaemia and other illnesses in the mother, as well as low birth weight in newborn infants, making it one of the top risk factors for infant mortality and suboptimal growth and development (Aguwa, 1990).
Malaria has major economic consequences in Africa, delaying economic growth and development while prolonging the vicious cycle of poverty.
Malaria is essentially a disease of poverty, affecting mostly the poor, who live in malaria-prone rural areas in poorly constructed buildings with few, if any, mosquito-repelling obstacles.
Malaria is both preventable and treatable, and excellent prevention and treatment methods have been developed. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted to humans and other animals by mosquitos and caused by Plasmodium protists. It starts with a bite from an infected female Anopheles mosquito, which transfers the protists into the bloodstream via saliva.
Protists mature and multiply in the liver after travelling via the bloodstream. Malaria symptoms often include fever and headache, which in severe cases can lead to coma or death. The disease is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions spanning the equator, encompassing parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Five Plasmodium species can infect and transmit to humans. The vast majority of deaths are caused by P. falciparum and P. vivax, although P. ovale and P. malariae cause a milder form of malaria that is rarely lethal. P. knowlesi, a zoonotic species found in Southeast Asia, causes malaria in macaques but can potentially cause serious infections in people.
Most crucially, malaria received a clear and explicit reference due to its urgency and the rate at which the parasite is wreaking havoc on rural areas around the world, particularly in developing countries.
This illustrates that efforts to prevent malaria contribute to the growth of the affected countries. In dealing with challenges of public health in general, it has long been recognised that the status of print media and communications cannot be overstated.
One of the most important aspects of the broadcasting medium, or mass media. According to Aniebona (2000), the enlightenment of various strata of society.
The government and society recognise the importance of widespread education for both children and adults in order to achieve certain goals such as economic growth, health care, political and social awareness, political stability, self-reliance, and national identity, among others.
The fact that broadcasting is a powerful and effective tool for attaining these national goals is well recognised around the world. This role will be addressed in the sequel.
Given the high percentage of illiteracy and low educational prevalence in many developing nations, one essential goal of radio and television programs is to educate the listening and viewing audiences.
Political education, the promotion of desirable social values, cultural education, health, and technological education are among the key responsibilities of the broadcast media to society (Gambo, 2008).
Because of the broadcast media’s information and instructional functions, as well as its other societal responsibilities, it is anticipated that the media support the well-being of its members.
Audience penetration is another significant role that broadcast media plays in the development of enhanced knowledge among members of society, raising awareness of the malaria parasite, and changing people’s attitudes and behaviours towards the health effects of the malaria parasite.
The broadcast media provides cultural, political, health, and other educational and enlightenment programs to the masses, guiding them towards self-actualization and national progress (Ellinas, 2010).
Broad media is a form of communication that allows people to share their experiences with the world around them and beyond. Broadcast media teaches citizens about new issues that arise in society.
For example, concerns concerning health, politics, business, current events, and so on are broadcast to raise awareness. The media acts as a social mobilisation agent, motivating individuals to achieve a specific objective based on their awareness of their rights and societal responsibilities.
Broadcast media enables health workers to broaden their audience reach, which is critical given that face-to-face routes of communication frequently require too many human resources and reach just a small number of individuals in big, underserved rural communities. Broadcast media serves as a key link between rural residents and vital health information.
Broadcast media is an excellent approach to persuade target audiences to adopt new behaviours or remind them of important information. Aside from informing the public about malaria symptoms, treatment, prevention, and where to seek assistance, they can also keep the public informed about immunisation programs.
The media can “empower rural populations to fight major causes of malaria epidemics such as the use of insecticide nets, maintaining a clean and healthy environment, can be prevented through vaccination, and inform large numbers of people about the benefits of living a healthy life” (Hartman, 2010).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne blood disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite. Malaria patients frequently experience fever, chills, and flu-like sickness. If untreated, they may develop serious complications and die.
In 2015, there were an estimated 212 million malaria cases worldwide, with 429,000 deaths, the majority of which were children in Africa. Malaria divides families, impoverishes them, and costs the country approximately 140 billion naira each year.
It impedes children’s academic and social growth in general. In light of this, the researcher wishes to investigate the function of broadcast media in malaria eradication in Ethiope East Local Government of Delta State.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The primary aims of this study are:
1. To explore the nature of malaria in Ethiopia East. L.G.A.
To assess the level of knowledge of malaria-related broadcast media campaigns in Ethiopia East L.G.A.
To investigate how the audience responds to malaria campaigns on broadcast media in Ethiopia East L.G.A.
To determine the demographic parameters that influence audience knowledge of malaria campaigns through broadcast media in Ethiopia East L.G.A.
To identify the barriers to malaria media campaigns in Ethiopia’s East L.G.A.?
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