Antimalarial drug use behaviours remain critical drivers of drug resistance as they can affect some of the other important factors implicated in the development of resistance. The overall aim of this study is to investigate the use of mixed drugs for malaria treatment and how (if any) the prevalence is patterned along the socioeconomic stratification of the population. A cross-sectional survey of 415 malaria patients was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models to examine the effects of the socioeconomic factors in the use of mixed drugs for malaria treatment; and the association between the use of mixed drugs and the experience of treatment failure. Household income, living in a rural area, and the type of health facility used were associated with the use of mixed drugs for malaria treatment. Patients who used informal health facilities were 70% more likely to get mixed drugs compared to those who used formal health facilities. The use of mixed drugs for last malaria treatment was associated with the experience of treatment failure. The fact that the use of mixed drugs for malaria treatment is socially patterned is the corollary of the determinant effect of socioeconomic factors on this behaviour.

Keywords: Mixed Drugs for Malaria; Socioeconomic; Inequalities; Malaria; Resistance; Drug use Behaviour; Antimalarial