ASSESMENT OF FARMERS KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE TOWARDS MALARIA TRANSMISSION AND CONTROL MEASURES IN BEGHI DISTRICT, OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

ADVISOR: MEBRATE DUFERA (PhD) Malaria is a serious health problem in the world. Reducing the prevalence of malaria requires an understanding of the degree of treatment-seeking behavior practiced in the community as well as the level of community awareness regarding malaria transmission and prevention. In the Beghi district of Oromia, Ethiopia, the study aims to evaluate farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices about malaria transmission and control techniques. A community-focused cross-sectional study was conducted. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 384 households between 2022 and 2024. The questionnaires are separated into three sections based on the information they provide. They contain data on socio demographics, respondents' awareness of malaria transmission and prevention, and community practices againist malaria. Many respondents indicated that they had reasonable awareness that malaria is caused by mosquito bites (34.90%), that malaria results in death (100%), and that the majority of respondents (76.04%) identified fumigation as malaria control approach. To control malaria, nearly half of respondents (77.86%) said they would seek treatment with an anti-malarial medication. It was found that the population understood the symptoms, causes, transmission, and ways to prevent malaria to a great degree. In this finding, Chi-square analysis is crucial for assocation of variables. The p value is significant when p value is greater than or equal to five. Sex, age, education, religion, marital status, income, and ethnicity were significantly associated with knowledge scores. Age and incomes were significantly related with attitude scores and others were insignificantly related with attitude scores. Incase of practice scores sex, hhs, religion, marital status, and incomes were significant, but others were not. Even though, the overall scores of the study people towards malaria was approximately good. Keywords: Attitude, Knowledge, malaria, Practice