Abstract

Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Uganda and is responsible for up to 40% of all outpatient
visits, 25% of all hospital admissions and 14% of all hospital deaths. From Unpublished medical records of Katooke
health Centre III (2016) indicated that approximately 15 malaria cases among under-five Years children reported
every week, equivalent to 720 cases that year. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study employed simple
random sampling technique to select mothers and care takers of under-five Years children as participants in the
study to recruit 67 respondents from whom data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The results
indicated that; majority of mothers and care takers were aged 20-30 years (50.7%), biological parents (86.4%). With
low levels of education (with 66.6% primary level, and 22.3% none at all), peasants (80.5%). Majority (95.5%) had
ever heard about malaria in under five years children; mothers knew fever (89.5%), vomiting (74.6%) and diarrhea
(67.1%) as signs of malaria. Mothers lacked knowledge on vulnerable age group (<5years children). Majority (80.5%)
were confident to use malaria prevention and control measures, where (83.5%) strongly agreed that sleeping under
ITNs prevents malaria in <5, and (64.1%) strongly agreed that chemical spraying prevents malaria in under five.
Whereas there were misconceptions in (67.1%) of mothers that contaminated food cause malaria, (38.8%) that
immunization prevents malaria. Majority (59.7%) slashed near homes to prevent malaria in under five; only (46.2%)
slept their < 5 children under ITNs. Mothers (62.6%) go to health unit for treatment of malaria in <5, however,
majority (35.8%) seek health care late by 13-18 hours. The study concluded that, Mothers had knowledge on malaria
prevention; they knew symptoms of simple malaria like fever, but lacked knowledge on signs of severe and
complicated malaria like jaundice, parlor, organomegaly and convulsions. They lacked knowledge on vulnerability
to malaria of under five years to adults. Had positive attitudes towards ITNs, Spraying, while had misconceptions
on contaminated food, misty weather as causes of malaria Knowledge on malaria prevention in under five was high,
but realistic practices on malaria prevention and control were very low, where majority did not use ITNs, and in
case of suspected malaria, they delayed to seek health care early.