Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Environmental Sanitation In The Control Of Malaria

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of environmental sanitation practices on malaria prevention and control in Abeokuta metropolis, Ogun State, Nigeria. Employing a descriptive cross-sectional study design, data were gathered from 450 adult respondents through a pre-tested structured questionnaire, selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Additionally, an observational checklist assessed the sanitary conditions of residential dwellings and facilities. The collected data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20.0). Results were presented in frequencies, tables, and charts, and associations between variables were tested using the Chi-square method at a 0.05 α level. Findings revealed that 283 respondents (62.9%) exhibited poor environmental sanitation practices, while 167 (37.1%) demonstrated good practices. Statistically significant associations were found between environmental sanitation practices and variables such as age (p=0.023), gender (p=0.000), educational status (p=0.000), and income (p=0.000). Consequently, it is recommended that malaria intervention programs be redesigned or remodeled to include core components of environmental sanitation to prevent mosquito breeding and mitigate malaria transmission in rural areas.