Evaluation of a malaria control project in DPR Korea, 2001-2003.

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate a malaria control project implemented from 2001 to 2003. The evaluation indicators included assessing malaria prevalence, people's knowledge, awareness, and preventive behavior regarding malaria. First, a review of clinical records in the study areas was used to measure malaria prevalence. Second, a cross-sectional study was done, and 1,007 people aged > or = 15 years who lived in Saenal Ri (rural area) Sichon County, South Hwanghae Province and Hwangju Up (urban area), North Hwanghae Province, were randomly sampled and interviewed. The prevalence of malaria, from review of clinical records, declined from 20.5 cases per 1,000 population in 2001 to 4.9 cases per 1,000 population in 2003. Of the 245 malaria cases, 1.6% had three, and 13.9% had two, experiences of malaria infection. Survey data showed that the prevalence of malaria was 2.7 cases per 1,000 population. About 75.6% (31/41) were in the age group 30-49 years. Overall outcome evaluation showed that the targets had been achieved: prevalence (2.7 vs 9 per 1,000 population), people's good knowledge of malaria (97.5 vs 90.0%), awareness (93.8 vs 85.0%), and preventive behavior (84.7 vs 80.0%). However, some aspects of the individual target indicators still needed improvement, ie people's knowledge of malaria symptoms and mosquito-source elimination behavior. The malaria control project appeared to be effective in reducing malaria prevalence and improving people's knowledge, awareness and preventive behavior about malaria in the studied areas.