Socioeconomic Determinants Of Malaria Morbidity And Mortality In Endemic Regions Of Bihar, India

Abstract

Malaria is a major public health issue in some of the flood prone and rural districts of Bihar, India, where socioeconomic vulnerability is a factor in perpetrating infections and avoidable deaths. The current research paper focuses on the association between malaria morbidity and mortality with socioeconomic factors in the selected endemic areas in the state of Bihar. It is a cross-sectional survey of a community-based survey, with 200 adult respondents sampled by 4 high-risk districts, namely, Purnia, Katihar, Araria and Kishanganj. The main data will be gathered using a structured questionnaire of education, income, occupation, housing condition, preventive habits and treatment seeking behaviour. Data analysis is done using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and binary logistic regression analysis. The results indicate that low-income and illiterate respondents, daily wage laborers, and people living in kutcha houses with no mosquito nets will be more inclined to malaria. Higher morbidity and mortality are noted in those respondents who postpone treatment or through informal health providers, but prompt treatment in formal health care facilities lowers mortality. Logistic regression results in delayed treatment, lack of mosquito nets, illiteracy and distance to health facilities are the factors to predict malaria deaths (p < 0.05). The research finds malaria in Bihar to be directly related to poverty and the lack of access to healthcare pointing at the necessity of combined prevention and healthcare actions.