Conference abstract
Knowledge attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding intestinal schistosomiasis and control stragegies in the Ndikinimeki Health District, Centre Region, Cameroon
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2023:18(146).03
Oct 2023.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2023.18.146.2256
Archived on: 03 Oct 2023
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Knowledge, attitudes, practices, schistosomiasis, persistent, Ndikinimeki
Oral presentation
Knowledge attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding intestinal schistosomiasis and control stragegies in the Ndikinimeki Health District, Centre Region, Cameroon
Kengne Fogang Hervé1,&, Nana Djeunga Hugues Clotaire2
1Departement of Public Health and Hygiene, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon, 2Centre for Research on Filariasis and other Tropical Diseases (CRFilMT), Yaounde, Cameroon
&Corresponding author
Introduction: schistosomiasis persists in the Ndikinimeki Health District despite more than twelve rounds of treatment with praziquantel, particularly in persistent hotspot foci. Prevalence of up to 30.51% and 28, 57% were obtained in schools and communities respectively during the recent Mass Drug Efficacy study carried out in 2019. This community-based study aimed to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on schistosomiasis among community members in the Ndikinimeki Health District.
Methods: a cross-sectional community-based survey was carried out in selected households from 45 communities between January and April 2021 in the Ndikinimeki Health District in the Centre Region of Cameroon. Heads of households were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire to collect information on the demographic and socioeconomic parameters of the participants, their involvement in the local control measures activities, and their KAP concerning schistosomiasis.
Results: a total of 536 participants were interviewed for the study. Overall, 79.0% of participants had good knowledge of intestinal schistosomiasis. Although 92.6% of the participants believed that schistosomiasis could be treated with praziquantel, 57.0% of them had insufficient practices regarding Schistosoma infection. Moreover, 44.0% of respondents of the respondents also have insufficient attitudes and practices concerning the implemented control measure within the study area. Significant associations between sex, occupation, large family size ≥ 7, distance of open water from household Insufficient Knowledge, and persistent hotspot status in the communities were reported.
Conclusion: this study reveals that community practices are insufficient, particularly in persistent communities. Moreover, their level of involvement concerning the implemented control measure is also insufficient. This could be a challenging obstacle to the interruption of schistosomiasis transmission in these communities. Besides other interventions already implemented in these foci, health education and the provision of safe water are imperative to enhance the prevention of schistosomiasis and increase community awareness of schistosomiasis in these communities.
Knowledge attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding intestinal schistosomiasis and control stragegies in the Ndikinimeki Health District, Centre Region, Cameroon
Kengne Fogang Hervé1,&, Nana Djeunga Hugues Clotaire2
1Departement of Public Health and Hygiene, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon, 2Centre for Research on Filariasis and other Tropical Diseases (CRFilMT), Yaounde, Cameroon
&Corresponding author
Introduction: schistosomiasis persists in the Ndikinimeki Health District despite more than twelve rounds of treatment with praziquantel, particularly in persistent hotspot foci. Prevalence of up to 30.51% and 28, 57% were obtained in schools and communities respectively during the recent Mass Drug Efficacy study carried out in 2019. This community-based study aimed to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on schistosomiasis among community members in the Ndikinimeki Health District.
Methods: a cross-sectional community-based survey was carried out in selected households from 45 communities between January and April 2021 in the Ndikinimeki Health District in the Centre Region of Cameroon. Heads of households were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire to collect information on the demographic and socioeconomic parameters of the participants, their involvement in the local control measures activities, and their KAP concerning schistosomiasis.
Results: a total of 536 participants were interviewed for the study. Overall, 79.0% of participants had good knowledge of intestinal schistosomiasis. Although 92.6% of the participants believed that schistosomiasis could be treated with praziquantel, 57.0% of them had insufficient practices regarding Schistosoma infection. Moreover, 44.0% of respondents of the respondents also have insufficient attitudes and practices concerning the implemented control measure within the study area. Significant associations between sex, occupation, large family size ≥ 7, distance of open water from household Insufficient Knowledge, and persistent hotspot status in the communities were reported.
Conclusion: this study reveals that community practices are insufficient, particularly in persistent communities. Moreover, their level of involvement concerning the implemented control measure is also insufficient. This could be a challenging obstacle to the interruption of schistosomiasis transmission in these communities. Besides other interventions already implemented in these foci, health education and the provision of safe water are imperative to enhance the prevention of schistosomiasis and increase community awareness of schistosomiasis in these communities.
