Sex of household head and women's willingness to accept malaria vaccine for children under five years in Ghana

Benjamin K Kwansa; Deborah Atobrah; Emmanuel A Anaba; Abena Kyere; Eunice Abbey; Delali Margaret Badasu; Irene Akwo Kretchy

doi:10.46829/hsijournal.2026.7.9.1.1556-1564

Benjamin K Kwansa Institute of African Studies, Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy, University of Ghana
Deborah Atobrah Institute of African Studies, Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy, University of Ghana
Emmanuel A Anaba School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana
Abena Kyere Center for Gender Studies and Advocacy, University of Ghana
Eunice Abbey Department of Social Work, University of Ghana and Center for Gender Studies and Advocacy, University of Ghana
Delali Margaret Badasu Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, and Center for Gender Studies and Advocacy, University of Ghana
Irene Akwo Kretchy School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, and Center for Gender Studies and Advocacy, University of Ghana

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46829/hsijournal.2026.7.9.1.1556-1564

Keywords: Malaria vaccine;, acceptance, sex of household head, Ghana

Abstract

Background: The malaria vaccine is effective in reducing the burden of malaria among children under five.
Objective: This study examined the influence of the sex of the household head on Ghanaian women of reproductive age’s willingness to accept malaria vaccine.
Methods: This study analysed data from the 2019 Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey. It included 730 (weighted) women of reproductive age with no exposure to the GoodLife Campaign. The outcome variable of interest was a willingness to accept the malaria vaccine for children. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression with the aid of Stata/SE version 17.
Results: The majority (59.8%) of the participants were from male-headed households. The results showed that 36% of women had heard about the malaria vaccine, and 88% were willing to accept it. Women in female-headed households (AOR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.03 - 3.91), those who professed traditional religion (AOR = 7.52, 95% CI: 1.13 - 49.77), those who knew that malaria is covered by NHIS (AOR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.44-4.31), and those residing in the Ashanti region (AOR = 9.41, 95% CI: 1.64 - 53.98) were more willing to accept the malaria vaccine.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that women with female household heads were more willing to accept the malaria vaccine than those with male-headed households. Going forward, interventions geared towards increasing willingness to accept malaria vaccine among women with no exposure to malaria campaigns would have to prioritise women living in male-headed households.