Mohammad Rezal Hamzah
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Preferred name
Mohammad Rezal Hamzah
Official Name
Hamzah, Mohammad Rezal
Alternative Name
Hamzah, Mohd Rezal
Hamzah, M. R
Hamzah, Mohammad Rezal
Main Affiliation
Scopus Author ID
57004523400
Researcher ID
AAZ-4229-2020

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Attitudes toward Plasmodium knowlesi Malaria prevention behaviours among at-risk communities and health district officers’ efforts and challenges in promoting these behaviours: an elicitation study in Peninsular Malaysia

2023 , Arina Anis Azlan , Hazwani Damanhuri , Mohammad Rezal Hamzah , Hafizah Pasi , Emma Mohamad

This study explores at-risk communities’ attitudes toward Plasmodium knowlesi (P. knowlesi) malaria prevention behaviours using the Integrated Behavioural Model (IBM) as a guiding framework. This study also presents efforts and challenges faced by district health officers in Peninsular Malaysia in their role as the health authority for mitigating the disease. Seventeen informants were selected from at-risk areas in three states with high cases of P. knowlesi in 2019 (Johor, Pahang, Kelantan) to be interviewed. Semistructured interview questions were developed guided by the IBM framework. Three district health officers who were involved in malaria prevention efforts in the selected states were also interviewed. Qualitative data analysis using Atlas.ti 8 software was used to facilitate thematic coding. Five prevention behaviours were found to be prevalent among the informants and are hypothesised to be suited for behavioural improvement intervention among at-risk communities. The prevention behaviours identified are: consuming prophylaxis, wearing long sleeves, using bed nets, mosquito coils and insect repellent. Current efforts by health district officers for P. knowlesi malaria prevention include erecting warning signs, community education programmes, and empowering community influencers. Challenges faced by the health district officers include difficulty accessing remote locations, limited facilities, and military-specific issues. This study suggests that future prevention efforts focused on behavioural improvement among atrisk communities in Malaysia should concentrate on the five prevention efforts most prevalent among these communities.

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Individual, host-vector interactions, and environmental risk factors for Plasmodium knowlesi malaria among at-risk communities in Peninsular Malaysia: a case-control study

2025-03 , Hafizah Pasi , Emma Mohamad , Arina Anis Azlan , Mohammad Rezal Hamzah , Mohd Rahim Sulong , Affendi Isa , Sivasangari Genapathy , Hazwani Damanhuri

Background: Highlighting the individual, host-vector interactions, and environmental risk factors for knowlesi malaria were consequential toward more focused and effective prevention and control strategies. This study aims to identify the individual, host-vector interactions, and environmental risk factors for Plasmodium knowlesi malaria among at-risk communities in Peninsular Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A case-control study was conducted involving laboratory-confirmed cases of P. knowlesi malaria, while a locality-matched individual with no history of fever and tested negative for malaria was taken as control. Univariate and multiple logistic regression were applied to evaluate the potential risk factors among respondents using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Results: Results showed higher cases among males as compared to females (76.1% vs. 23.9%). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed being male is 3.51 higher risk (p < 0.001) to become a case. Respondents whose place of work or study is near the forest edge have 44.0% lower risk (p = 0.030), while those living in the Orang Asli village were 56.0% lower risk as compared to the organized village to become a case (p = 0.035). Conclusion: These findings demonstrated that gender emerges as an independent individual risk factor while residing near a forest edge, in an Orang Asli village, or occupying workers’ longhouses situated in hilly areas lowered the environmental risk among respondents. These findings attested that alternative directions must be considered in addressing the known risk factors associated with this type of malaria and the design of prevention and control programs should be tailored to the unique characteristics of each population.

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