Theatre and Public Health: Evaluating Drama-Based Interventions for Malaria Prevention in Rural Ogun State

This study evaluates drama-based interventions designed to promote malaria prevention behaviours among rural communities in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria, and behaviour change communication strategies that go beyond passive health messaging are urgently needed. Drama-based health interventions, which engage community members as participants and audience members in performance exploring health behaviours, have shown promise in several African contexts, but their systematic evaluation in Nigerian rural settings remains limited. The research employs a mixed-methods quasi-experimental design, assessing the impact of participatory health drama interventions delivered in six rural communities in Ogun State over a three-month period. Pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys measured knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices related to malaria prevention. Qualitative data from focus groups and interviews supplemented quantitative findings. The study finds that communities that received drama-based interventions demonstrated significantly greater improvements in malaria prevention knowledge and bednet usage compared to control communities. Cultural specificity of dramatic content and use of local performance conventions were identified as critical factors in community engagement. The research concludes that drama-based health communication is a measurably effective complement to conventional malaria control strategies. Keywords: drama-based intervention, malaria prevention, public health, Ogun State, behaviour change communication.