Malaria classroom corner: a school-based intervention to promote basic malaria awareness and common control practices among school-age children

Purpose: This study assessed the effectiveness of malaria classroom corner (MCC), school-based intervention in the promotion of basic malaria awareness and common control practices among children of primary school age. Design/methodology/approach: A quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 206 children of primary 5 and 6 classes from two randomly selected public primary schools in Owerri, South Eastern Nigeria. The MCC was designed and set up in the intervention school (with 103 children) while the control school (with 103 children) was offered malaria health talk. Structured pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data pre- and post-intervention in both schools. Data was analysed using Statistical Package – Stata version 14.1 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA). Findings: Results show that there was a significant enhancement of basic malaria awareness (p = 0.0003) and common preventive and management practices (p = 0.0202) among children in the intervention primary school compared to those in the control primary school. Research limitations/implications: The study did not account for actual behaviour change, as its scope was within basic malaria awareness and common control practices. Practical implications: This approach could enhance awareness and proactiveness of school children towards malaria prevention and overall health consciousness. Social implications: This could help in achieving a healthy population of school children with a positive effect on their school performance. Originality/value: The MCC could provide a simple, participatory and effective approach for the promotion of basic malaria awareness and common control practices among primary school-age children in malaria endemic areas. Such children could, in turn, become malaria conversation drivers and behaviour change agents in their homes and communities, thereby contributing to the malaria elimination efforts. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.