Seeing malaria through the eyes of affected communities: using photovoice to document local knowledge on zoonotic malaria causation and prevention practices among rural communities exposed to Plasmodium knowlesi malaria in Northern Borneo Island

Malaria Journal

Research

Mohammad Saffree Jeffree¹  Shigeharu Sato²  Kamruddin Ahmed²  Sara Elizabeth Baumann³  Rozita Hod⁴  Mohd Rohaizat Hassan⁵  Nurul Athirah Naserrudin⁶  Richard Culleton⁷  Pauline Pau Lin Yong⁸  April Monroe⁹ 

[1] Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia;Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia;Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia;Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia;Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia;Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 15261, Pittsburgh, PA, USA;Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia;Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia;Sabah State Health Department, Ministry of Health, 88590, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia;Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, 791-0295, Toon, Ehime, Japan;Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia;Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Baltimore, MD, USA;

关键词: Plasmodium knowlesi;    Zoonotic malaria;    Participatory study;    Photovoice;    Knowledge;    Local beliefs;    Preventive practises;    Malaria prevention;    Malaysia;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12936-023-04603-5

 received in 2022-12-16, accepted in 2023-05-22,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundMany rural communities in Malaysian Borneo and Southeast Asia are at risk of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria. Multiple factors contribute to infection, however, a deep understanding of illness causation and prevention practices among at-risk communities remains limited. This study aims to document local knowledge on malaria causation and preventive practices of rural communities in Sabah, Malaysia, using photovoice—a participatory research method.MethodsFrom January to June 2022, a photovoice study was conducted with rural communities in Matunggong subdistrict, Malaysia, to explore their experiences with and local knowledge of non-human primate malaria and prevention practices. The study included (1) an introductory phase in which participants were introduced to the photovoice method; (2) a documentation phase in which participants captured and narrated photos from their communities; (3) a discussion phase in which participants discussed photos and relevant topics through a series of three focus group discussions (FGDs) per village; and (4) a dissemination phase where selected photos were shared with key stakeholders through a photo exhibition. A purposively selected sample of 26 participants (adults > 18 years old, male, and female) from four villages participated in all phases of the study. The study activities were conducted in Sabah Malay dialect. Participants and the research team contributed to data review and analyses.ResultsRural communities in Sabah, Malaysia possess local knowledge that attributes non-human primate malaria to natural factors related to the presence of mosquitoes that bite humans and which carry “kuman-malaria” or malaria parasite. Participants revealed various preventive practises ranging from traditional practises, including burning dried leaves and using plants that produce foul odours, to non-traditional approaches such as aerosols and mosquito repellents. By engaging with researchers and policymakers, the participants or termed as co-researchers in this study, showcased their ability to learn and appreciate new knowledge and perspectives and valued the opportunity to share their voices with policymakers. The study successfully fostered a balance of power dynamics between the co-researchers, research team members and policymakers.ConclusionThere were no misconceptions about malaria causation among study participants. The insights from study participants are relevant because of their living experience with the non-human malaria. It is critical to incorporate rural community perspectives in designing locally effective and feasible malaria interventions in rural Sabah, Malaysia. Future research can consider adapting the photovoice methodology for further research with the community toward building locally tailored-malaria strategies.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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