Determinants of non-utilization of insecticide-treated nets among children under five in Rwanda: analyses of the 2024 Rwanda malaria indicator survey

The study examined the prevalence and determinants of non-utilization of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) among children under five in Rwanda using data from the 2024 malaria indicator survey. The analysis included 1,979 children from households that owned at least one ITN. The overall prevalence of net non-utilization was 20.11 percent. Children aged 2 to 3 years had an 83 percent higher prevalence of non-utilization compared with children aged one year or younger. Households with three or more nets had a 76 percent lower prevalence of non-utilization compared with households with only one net. Children in households with 5 to 7 members had an 87 percent higher prevalence of non-utilization. The findings suggest that net utilization is influenced not only by household access to nets but also by household composition and dynamics.