OBJECTIVE: To study the role of health education and community participation for the provision of facilities necessary for the control of urinary schistosomiasis in southern Ghana. HYPOTHESIS: Health education facilitates community participation in the provision of facilities for the control of bilharzia. STUDY AREA: Three rural communities drained by the Densu river in southern Ghana. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 14 years and above formed groups of 10-12 persons by age, sex, ethnic and educational background; 15-16 groups were formed. INTERVENTIONS: Based on existing structures, one community received active, another passive health education and the third had no education. All three communities received chemotherapy. DESIGN: Study was carried out in three phases: pre-intervention phase--during which baseline data on residents' knowledge, attitude, beliefs and perception about bilharzia were collected using focus group discussions (FGD) prior to the second phase, intervention. Another FGD was held after 18 months to evaluate the intervention--third phase. RESULTS: This study suggests that most community members were aware of schistosomiasis but not as a disease. Before the health education, some residents believed bilharzia was a sign of manhood while others attributed the red colour of the urine to the red colour of a variety of sugar cane eaten in the area. After the health education, residents in the three areas constructed hand-dug wells. In addition, those who received active health education constructed two toilets for the schools and weeded the banks of the rivers. Residents also associated the disease with the water snail. CONCLUSION: Health education was useful in changing community perception on bilharzia.
OBJECTIVE: To study the role of health education and community participation for the provision of facilities necessary for the control of urinary schistosomiasis in southern Ghana. HYPOTHESIS: Health education facilitates community participation in the provision of facilities for the control of bilharzia. STUDY AREA: Three rural communities drained by the Densu river in southern Ghana. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 14 years and above formed groups of 10-12 persons by age, sex, ethnic and educational background; 15-16 groups were formed. INTERVENTIONS: Based on existing structures, one community received active, another passive health education and the third had no education. All three communities received chemotherapy. DESIGN: Study was carried out in three phases: pre-intervention phase--during which baseline data on residents' knowledge, attitude, beliefs and perception about bilharzia were collected using focus group discussions (FGD) prior to the second phase, intervention. Another FGD was held after 18 months to evaluate the intervention--third phase. RESULTS: This study suggests that most community members were aware of schistosomiasis but not as a disease. Before the health education, some residents believed bilharzia was a sign of manhood while others attributed the red colour of the urine to the red colour of a variety of sugar cane eaten in the area. After the health education, residents in the three areas constructed hand-dug wells. In addition, those who received active health education constructed two toilets for the schools and weeded the banks of the rivers. Residents also associated the disease with the water snail. CONCLUSION: Health education was useful in changing community perception on bilharzia.
Entities:
Keywords:
Africa; Africa South Of The Sahara; Community Participation; Developing Countries; Diseases; Education; English Speaking Africa; Ghana; Health; Health Education; Organization And Administration; Parasitic Diseases; Public Health; Research Report; Schistosomiasis--prevention and control; Western Africa
Authors: Rachel A Martel; Bernard Gyamfi Osei; Alexandra V Kulinkina; Elena N Naumova; Abdul Aziz Abdulai; David Tybor; Karen Claire Kosinski Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-06-13 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Franziska Weinreich; Felix Weinreich; Andreas Hahn; Ralf Matthias Hagen; Holger Rohde; Fred Stephen Sarfo; Torsten Feldt; Albert Dompreh; Shadrack Osei Asibey; Richard Boateng; Hagen Frickmann; Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt Journal: Pathogens Date: 2022-07-02