01999nas a2200193   4500000000100000008004100001653001600042653001900058653001400077653001300091100002000104700001200124700001300136245010300149300001000252490000600262520152300268022001401791       2010                            d10arural areas10aonchocerciasis10aKnowledge10aEthiopia1 aKarunamoorthi K1 aKassa E1 aEndale A00aKnowledge and beliefs about onchocerciasis among rural inhabitants in an endemic area of Ethiopia.  a59-640 v23 a<p>A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the knowledge and beliefs about causes, transmission, prevention and control of onchocerciasis among rural inhabitants in an endemic area of Ethiopia. Descriptive and quantitative information was collected using focus group discussions and a pretested structured questionnaire. Onchocerciasis affected and unaffected respondents' knowledge and beliefs regarding onchocerciasis were compared. Overall, 75.9% (192/253) of study subjects were aware about onchocerciasis. During the survey, 66.9% of affected, and 45.5% of unaffected respondents knew that onchocerciasis was transmitted through blackfly bites. About 53% of unaffected and 60% of affected respondents thought that onchocerciasis was preventable and the majority of the affected respondents felt that it was curable. Chi-square statistical analysis found a significant association between affected and unaffected individual's knowledge and beliefs about causes, transmission, prevention and control of onchocerciasis. Although the majority of respondents had ample awareness, a sizable proportion still had misconceptions and misunderstandings about causes, transmission, prevention and control of onchocerciasis. Therefore, appropriate communication strategies should be developed to create the awareness regarding the role of blackflies in onchocerciasis transmission, the importance of proper prevention techniques, early diagnosis and treatment to bring a constructive outcome in the near future.</p>
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