Peer education: The effects on knowledge of pregnancy related malaria and preventive practices in women of reproductive age in Edo State, Nigeria

1105 women of child bearing age were interviewed in their households using a structured questionnaire about their knowledge of malaria in general, MIP and use of preventive measures. Thereafter, a peer education campaign was launched to raise the level of knowledge in the community. The interviews were repeated after the campaign and the responses between the pre- and post-intervention were compared.In the pre-assessment women on average answered 64.8% of the question on malaria and its possibility to prevent malaria correctly. The peer education campaign had a significant impact in raising the level of knowledge among the women; after the campaign the respondents answered on average 73.8% of the questions correctly. Stratified analysis on pre and post assessment scores for malaria in general (68.8 & 72.9%) and MIP (61.7 & 76.3%) showed also significant increase. Uptake of bed nets was reported to be low: 11.6%Peer education led to a significant increase in knowledge of malaria and its prevention but we could not asses its influence on the use of preventive measures.Plasmodium falciparum malaria during pregnancy poses a substantial risk to mother and foetus; it leads to an estimated 10,000 maternal anaemia-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa annually [1]. Furthermore, malaria during pregnancy leads to an increased risk of low birth weight (LBW) in neonates and is responsible for up to 35% of preventable LBW neonates in malaria-endemic areas [2].In recent years, convincing evidence has shown that preventive methods such as the use of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs) and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-sp) can greatly reduce the adverse effects of malaria during pregnancy [3,4], and since 1998 this measures has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).IPTp and ITNs are key components of the National Malaria Control Program of the Nigerian Ministry of Health, and these strategies are expected to re