UTILIZATION OF INSECTICIDE TREATED NET AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING ANTENATAL CARE IN ETSAKO EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

Objective: To assess the knowledge on malaria, ownership and utilization of ITN among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Etsako East LGA, Edo State.Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out using a structured interviewers administered pre-tested questionnaire among 305 consenting pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Etsako West LGA of Edo State. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0.Results: A total of 305 pregnant women with a mean age of 28.7 ± 6 . 5 years participated in the study. Majority 265 (86.9%) of the respondents had good knowledge on how malaria is transmitted, although a substantial proportion 200 (65.6%) had a poor knowledge on its effect on pregnancy. ITN ownership was low, as only 80 (26.2%) owned an ITN and among those that had one utilisation was equally low17 (21.3%) .Conclusion: The study revealed a relatively good knowledge on transmission of malaria among respondents . However ownership and utilization was low majorly due to unavailability of ITNs.