AWARENESS ABOUT KALA-AZAR DISEASE AND RELATED PREVENTIVE ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES IN A HIGHLY ENDEMIC RURAL AREA OF INDIA

作者:Siddiqui N A*; Kumar Narendra; Ranjan A; Pandey K; Das V N R; Verma R B; Das P
来源:Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 2010, 41(1): 1-12.

摘要

This Study was undertaken to assess the extent of community awareness and related practices about kala-azar undertaken by them to control the disease, in an highly endemic focus of Bihar, India. A household-based cross-sectional knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) survey consisting of quantitative, components on knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning kala-azar was administered to heads-of-household through a semi-structured questionnaire. Data indicated that 61% respondents were illiterate, 4% had correct knowledge that sandfly bites caused kala-azar, 26% do not know any specific transmission agents, for kala-azar. A majority (72%) of respondents were not able to recognize sandfly, 33%, had no specific knowledge about the symptoms. All of them (100%) believed that this disease could affect his or her family income. Nearly all (95%) were positive that the kala-azar cases could be reduced with implementation of proper health measures. A few (11%) Suggested isolation of patients to avoid contacting kala-azar while a high proportion (93%) of respondents favored specific allopathic medicine, and a majority (72%) favored the utilization of the services offered by primary health centers or government hospitals. Just over half (66%) of the respondents were not using any prevention measures to avoid contacting disease. These results Could prove to be useful for health planners in developing Suitable control strategies.