ABSTRACT

Background: In African nations where malaria is endemic, household health-seeking behavior for malaria treatment is a significant policy concern. The purpose of this research is to provide insight into the factors that influence Cameroonian households’ decisions to seek medical attention for malaria.Techniques: The fourth Cameroonian household consumption survey, carried out by the National Institute of Statistics, provided secondary data for the cross-sectional study. A two-stage, stratified sampling technique was employed on a sample of 918 homes that pursued treatment for malaria from various alternative providers. The likelihood that a household will select one type of malaria treatment provider over another depending on sociodemographic and economic factors was estimated using the multinomial probit model.Findings:According to the study’s findings, public health institutions (61.1%), private health facilities (8.5%), traditional healers (1.4%), pharmacies (4.6%), unofficial vendors (18%), and other sorts of recourse (6.4%) were the alternate sources for treating malaria. The choice of malaria treatment provider is influenced by various characteristics, including gender, socio-professional category, education level, household head, location, and place of residence. Higher educated people are more inclined to visit official medical facilities for care.Conclusions: In order to ensure that everyone has access to a diagnosis and efficient treatment of malaria, health policymakers must work to improve sociodemographic and economic conditions and educate households about appropriate alternative methods. This is in line with the global strategies that the World Health Organization has recommended in order to eradicate malaria by 2030.