- “My husband and mother–in–law did not allow me to go for malaria tests and ANC visits whenever I felt unwell. They discouraged me and wanted me to remain at home to look after animals,” she said.
- At 6 months pregnant, Kima said that she was visited by the Community Health Promoter (CHP) who convinced her to start attending clinics where she underwent a malaria test and began her late ANC visits.
Image: TONY WAFULA
As the government deploys strategies to ensure that every Kenyan is accessing quality healthcare there are some retrogressive beliefs that reverse these efforts.
Jentrix Kima, 36, mother of three from Lukhuna village, Kabuchai Constituency, Bungoma County is one of the victims of the retrogressive beliefs on malaria treatment and clinic sessions.
Kima says that she was married in a family where they don’t value and recognise the roles played by the health facilities, noting that whenever she became pregnant she was not allowed by her mother-in-law to attend clinic sessions and other treatment.
For her, fighting malaria and presenting herself to a health facility for lab tests and treatment was an uphill task as her family did not believe in the treatment.
Kima says that after she was visited by the Community Health Promoter (CHP) and enriched with information on the need and importance of going for malaria tests and Antenatal Care Visits (ANC) she ignored her family’s beliefs and started attending clinics and going for malaria treatment whenever she felt unwell.
“My husband and mother–in–law did not allow me to go for malaria tests and ANC visits whenever I felt unwell. They discouraged me and wanted me to remain at home to look after animals,” she said.
Image: TONY WAFULA
Further, Kima said that the family that she was married to did not allow her to prepare for her newborn.
“My mother-in-law and husband discouraged me a lot that if I pre-buy towels and clothes for my expected new baby that could spell bad news as my unborn child could die,” she said.
At 6 months pregnant, Kima said that she was visited by the Community Health Promoter (CHP) who convinced her to start attending clinics where she underwent a malaria test and began her late ANC visits.
“Upon reaching the health facility I was treated well and given a treated mosquito net to shield me and my unborn baby,” she noted, adding that she was accompanied by her husband who also liked the services that were offered at that particular health facility.
Image: TONY WAFULA
However, Kima confirmed that she attended the ANC clinic until last month of delivering her children. She never attended clinics due to myths and misconceptions from the family members.
Additionally, Kima underscored the need for pregnant women to visit health facilities for specialised care stating that during her ANC visits she received important information on family planning and baby care which she never received during the first- two pregnancies.
“There is information on family planning and how to take care of the newborn that's why expectant mothers should prefer attending clinics to catch up with,” she said.
However, Kima notes that during the first- two pregnancies she fell sick frequently which is risky for pregnant women.
In her Lukhuna village, Kima reveals that there are expectant mothers who still fear visiting health facilities for malaria treatment and clinic sessions. She notes that there are those who misuse mosquito nets given at the facility.
To address the myths and misconceptions in the Bungoma communities, the Breakthrough Action organisation has taken the frontline in sensitising the community and healthcare providers to fight the myths and encourage them to seek malaria tests and go for ANC visits.
Moses Wambusi, the county’s malaria coordinator, reports a prevalence rate of 29 per cent.
The malaria prevalence rates per subcounty in Bungoma for 2023 and 2024 are as follows: Bumula 49 per cent, Cheptais(27), Kabuchai(34), Kanduyi(20), Kimilili(19), Mt Elgon(8), Sirisia(46), Tongaren(12 ), Webuye East(25), and Webuye West(28).
Isaac Juma, a social behaviour change and community engagement officer at Breakthrough Action, speaking during a review meeting in Kabuchai with subcounty health managers, noted that currently, the organisation is supporting the sensitisation in the entire county.
Juma says that myths and misconceptions surround the fight against malaria in Bungoma communities, especially on mosquito net use and ANC visits.
“As a programme, we are supporting the subcounty team and our facilities to address the myths and misconceptions by using the action cycle and the multi-sectoral approach, each of the facilities has a team of ten members; facility in-charge, community health assistant, assistant chief and a religious leader who work together through their meetings and platforms to demystify those myths and misconceptions on malaria fight and ANC attendance,” he said.
Juma highlighted that one of the major myths about mosquito nets is that it's a source of bedbug infestation in the home, arguing that through the sensitisation meeting the public is given the correct information.
He added that some pregnant women fear attending clinics because they prefer keeping their pregnancy a secret.
Juma reported that some pregnant women present themselves at a health facility for Antenatal Care visits at 7 months which is very late.
He notes that Breakthrough Action is collaborating with other malaria partners to support other malaria fight interventions, Afya Ugavi on drugs and malaria commodities and Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium ( KANCO) which does community case management of malaria.