02859nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653002000054653001700074653003300091653002900124653002100153653003900174653003400213100001500247700001200262700001300274700001400287700001500301245015900316856007000475300001100545520202300556022001402579       2026                            d  c04/202610aschistosomiasis10aSouth Africa10aCommunity-based intervention10aEducational intervention10aHealth Education10aknowledge, attitudes and practices10aWater, Sanitation and Hygiene1 aCampbell P1 aAdams J1 aThwala M1 aOyedele O1 aMelariri P00aKnowledge to action: assessing the impact of schistosomiasis education on community knowledge, attitudes and practices in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa  uhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23744235.2026.2650617  a1 - 143 a<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>S</p>

<p>chistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease affecting nearly 240 million people globally, remains entrenched in communities with poor access to safe water and sanitation. Between 2021 and 2022, the World Health Organisation reported a 5% rise in the global need for preventive treatment, with Africa bearing 90% of the burden.</p>

<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong></p>

<p>This study assessed community knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding schistosomiasis and evaluated the impact of an educational intervention.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong></p>

<p>A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed. Structured pre- and post-intervention interviews were conducted with residents aged 18-65 years living within 5 km of selected water bodies. Data were captured in QuestionPro and analysed using Microsoft Excel 365 (2019) and R (version 4.3.1).</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong></p>

<p>Of 380 participants (51.1% male, 48.7% female, 0.3% no response), 91.3% had no prior knowledge of schistosomiasis at baseline. Post-intervention, awareness reached 100%. Pre-intervention analysis revealed a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude ( = 0.23,  &lt; 0.001), with knowledgeable individuals more likely to seek treatment and adopt preventive measures. However, post-intervention data showed a negative correlation between attitudes and practices (r = -0.13,  = 0.013), indicating that some participants persisted in high-risk water contact despite improved attitudes.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong></p>

<p>The intervention markedly improved awareness and attitudes but did not fully eliminate risky behaviours. This gap underscores the need for sustained context-specific behavioural change strategies that move beyond knowledge transfer to address ingrained practices. Embedding long-term community engagement into schistosomiasis control programmes is critical to breaking transmission cycles.</p>
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