Penyakit malaria di Indonesia saat ini masih merupakan penyakit serius yang menimbulkan kesakitan dan kematian yang sangat tinggi, khususnya pada anak-anak. WHO memperkirakan 300-500 juta orang menderita malaria, kematian diperkirakan tiga juta orang setiap tahun. Menurut Depkes pada tahun 2000 tercatat 3100 kasus per 100.000 penduduk Studi ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh gambaran perilaku pencarian pertolongan pengobatan pada informan ibu-ibu yang memiliki anak balita menderita malaria di desa Hanura dan desa Gebang kecamatan Padang Cermin Kabupaten Lampung Selatan yang diharapkan berguna scbagai rnasukan bagi pengelola dan pelaksana program penanggulangan malaria di Kabupaten Lampung Selatan. Studi ini menggunakan studi kualitatif dengan metode pengumpulan informasi yang digunakan adalah diskusi kelompok terarah (DIET) dan wawancara mendalam. Jumlah informan dalam studi ini sebanyak 36 orang yang terdiri dan 8 informan kunci dan 24 orang dari kelompok ibu yang mencari pertolongan pengobatan ke puskesmas dan 4 orang dan kelompok ibu-ibu yang melakukan pengobatan sendiri. Hasil studi menunjukkan gambaran karakteristik informan ibu-ibu yang mencari pertolongan pengobatan ke puskesmas umurnya lebih muda dan pendidikan lebih tinggi dibandingkan kelompok informan ibu-ibu yang melakukan pengobatan sendiri. Pada umumnya pengetahuan informan tentang penyakit malaria belum memadai, pengetahuan informan ibu-ibu yang mencari pertolongan pengobatan ke puskesmas lebih baik dibandingkam dengan informan ibu-ibu yang melakukan pengobatan sendiri. Biaya yang dikeluarkan untuk pengobatan di puskesmas meliputi biaya pengobatan dan biaya transportasi lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan biaya yang dikeluarkan untuk pengobatan sendiri. Pada umumnya informan melakukan pengobatan sendiri lebih dahulu sebelum mencari pertolongan pengobatan ke puskesmas. Upaya yang dilakukan untuk penyembuhan benmacam-macam cara yaitu dengan menggunakan ramuan tradisional, obat warung dan dukun. Pada umumnya informan minum obat tidak mengikuti aturan/petunjuk, mereka mempunyai kebiasaan minum obat hanya pada saat timbul gejala bila gejala hilang dianggap sembuh, mereka menghentikan minum obat. Warung dan dukun merupakan pilihan bagi informan untuk memperoleh obat dengan berbagai alasan seperti harganya lebih murah, rnudah diperoleh dan selalu tersedia. Pengobatan sendiri adalah biaya untuk mencari pertolongan pengobatan ke puskesmas mahal selain biaya, pengobatan juga biaya transportasi sehingga mereka mengatakan tidak mampu. Puskesmas hanya bersifat pasif menunggu di puskesmas dan tidak lagi melakukan penyuluhan karena tidak tersedianya dana pemberantasan. Dari studi ini disarankan kepada pengelola dan pelaksana program penanggulangan malaria di Kabupaten Lampung Selatan agar meningkatkan kegiatan penyuluhan rutin yang telah lama tidak dilakukan, Melibatkan pemilik warung dalam penyebarluasan informasi setelah dibekali pengetahuan tentang malaria dan pengobatannya. Kerjasama lintas sektoral terutama Diknas untuk memasukkan pokok bahasan penyakit malaria dalam mata pelajaran yang terkait sebagai mata pelajaran munlok (muatan lokal) mulai dari SD sampai SLTA. Bagi petugas dalam memberikan obat anti malaria selain dosis menjelaskan dosis obat perlu menjelaskan akibat penggunaan obat tidak sesuai dengan dosis. Perlu dilakukan penelitian lebih lanjut untuk membuktikan adanya resistensi obat di desa Hanura dan Gebang untuk mengetahui penyebab tingginya angka kesakitan malaria.

Study of the Medication Seeking Behaviour among the Under-five's with Malaria in Sub District of Padang Cermin, District of South Lampung 2003In Indonesia malaria still remains serious disease that cause high both in mortality and morbidity, especially in children. The WHO indicated there were 300-500 million people suffering from malaria, the predicted mortality were about 3 million people per year. According to the Health Department (Depkes) in 2000 there were 3I00 cases of malaria per 100.000 person. This disease becomes one of chief causes of the under-five's mortality. This study was conducted to obtain a description of the medication seeking behavior of the mother's who had under-five children with malaria in both Hanura and Gebang Villages, sub district of Padang Cermin, district of South Lampung. The result of this study was expected to be useful for input to the managers of the malaria controlling program in district of South Lampung. The design of this study was a qualitative design using focus group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interview for data collection. Number of informant was 36 sons composed of 8 person as key informants, 24 mothers who had balita with malaria sought medication to the health center (Puskesmas), and 4 similar mother's who did self medication for malaria. The results of this study showed that in general, the informant's who sought medication to the health centers were likely younger and had higher education than those who did self medication. The informant's knowledge about malaria was considered inadequate The mothers of the under five with malaria who sought medication to health center were likely to have a better knowledge than those who did self medication, The total cost spent for taking medication in the health center which included medicine and transportation was higher than those of the total cost spent if they did self medication. In general, the informants were likely to seek own medication before taking medication from the health centers, they did some efforts such as using traditional medication, buying common medicine in drugstore or market, or seeking traditional healer. Generally the informants took the medicine not following the instruction that had been explained by health officers, so they took the medicine only if they felt the symptoms of this disease. If the symptoms was missing they assumed that their felt self-healed and stopped the medication. In general, the mini market and traditional healers became better choices among informants due to some reasons such as, less expensive, easy to seek, and their services were always available. While if they sought in health center, it costed more expensive and faced transportation problems. The roled of the health centers was passive, there was no educational program anymore, because the operational cost was un available. From the result of this study, it is recommended the malaria controlling program manager in district of south Lampung should increase routine information program activities that were halted for a long time. The following recommendation are also made involving mini market or mini drug store owner to disseminate information about malaria and strengthening, inter sector cooperation especially with the Education Department by intergrating malaria subject as of health education in schools as local matter. Health center staffs should give more information about malaria drug dose and explain the side effects of inappropriate usage before deliver it to patients. It is strongly recommended to conduct other studies about malaria drugs resistance in both Hanura and Gebang villages to find out the underlying factors of high rate of malaria incidence.