Demographic and Health Survey 2009-10 - Timor-Leste Ministry of ...

176 | Malaria
Among children under age 5, those less than 1 year of age are most likely to have slept under
any net (47 percent), an ever-treated net (46 percent), or an ITN (44 percent) the night before the
survey. Children in rural areas are less likely than those in urban areas to have slept under any net, an
ever-treated net, or an ITN. The proportion of children who slept under any type of mosquito net is
highest in Covalima (65 percent) and lowest in Ainaro (23 percent). The proportion of children who
slept under a mosquito net generally increases with increasing wealth quintile; thus while 25 percent
of children in the lowest wealth quintile slept under a net the night before the survey, about two and a
half times more children in the highest wealth quintile (65 percent) slept under a net. Similar
variations were observed among households with an ITN.
13.1.3 Use of Mosquito Nets by Women
Pregnant women are one of the groups most vulnerable to malaria. The disease adversely
affects birth outcomes and can lead to spontaneous abortions, pre-term labor, low birthweight babies,
and stillbirths. This has prompted many advocacy campaigns to educate not only pregnant women,
but also the general public on the importance of preventing malaria during pregnancy. In Timor-Leste,
the key malaria preventive method employed during pregnancy is the use of ITNs. As with children
under age 5, pregnant women in Timor-Leste have been targeted for bed net distribution over the past
five years, and those who slept under an ITN the night before the survey are considered regular users
of an ITN.
Table 13.3 Use of mosquito nets by women
Among all women age 15-49 in all households, the percentages who slept the night before the survey under a mosquito
net (treated or untreated), under an ever-treated mosquito net, and under an insecticide-treated net (ITN), and among
all women age 15-49 in households with at least one ITN, the percentage who slept the night before the survey under
an ITN, by background characteristics, Timor-Leste 2009-10
Background
characteristic
Slept under
any net last
night
Women age 15-49 in all households
Percentage who:
Slept under an
ever-treated
net last night 1
Slept under an
ITN last night 2
Number of
women
Women age 15-49 in
households with ITN 2
Percentage
who slept
under an ITN
last night 2
Number of
women
Residence
Urban 51.1 45.7 41.4 3,628 78.3 1,917
Rural
District
34.5 33.7 31.7 10,228 77.0 4,214
Aileu 45.2 44.8 44.8 584 79.1 331
Ainaro 19.4 14.8 14.5 653 78.0 121
Baucau 21.8 21.8 20.7 1,485 75.7 406
Bobonaro 44.5 40.4 37.0 1,331 82.9 595
Covalima 58.2 56.7 53.2 824 82.9 529
Dili 51.0 45.3 41.5 2,601 79.5 1,357
Ermera 21.4 21.3 21.3 1,626 71.9 482
Lautem 39.9 39.9 38.1 912 69.6 499
Liquiçá 33.6 32.9 30.4 844 75.0 342
Manatutu 55.7 55.4 48.2 636 85.6 358
Manufahi 25.3 24.8 21.9 496 77.4 141
Oecussi 45.9 43.8 41.0 932 71.1 537
Viqueque
Education
39.4 39.4 34.6 930 74.6 432
No education 27.9 26.7 25.3 4,106 75.1 1,383
Primary 41.3 40.2 37.8 3,163 80.3 1,489
Secondary 44.1 41.5 38.1 6,130 76.9 3,042
More than secondary
Wealth quintile
49.4 43.0 37.7 455 79.0 217
Lowest 20.5 20.1 19.0 2,438 71.5 649
Second 27.7 26.9 25.8 2,589 75.8 881
Middle 35.1 34.1 32.6 2,754 76.5 1,172
Fourth 49.5 47.7 44.5 2,864 79.2 1,611
Highest 55.6 50.2 44.9 3,210 79.2 1,818
Total 38.9 36.8 34.2 13,856 77.4 6,131
Note: Total for women in all households includes 2 women with information missing on education.
1 An ever-treated net is (1) a factory net that does not require any further treatment or (2) any pretreated net.
2 An insecticide treated net (ITN) is (1) a factory treated net that does not require any further treatment or (2) a
pretreated net obtained within the past 12 months.