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Al-Ashwal MA, Al-Adhroey AH, Atroosh WM, Alshoteri SA, Al-Subbary AA, Alharazi TH, Sady H, Azzani M, Lau YL, Al-Mekhlafi HM. Knowledge, attitude, practices and treatment-seeking behaviour concerning cutaneous leishmaniasis among rural hyperendemic communities in western Yemen. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12662. [PMID: 38830983 PMCID: PMC11148075 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63526-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), a neglected tropical disease (NTD), is a major public health problem in Yemen with widespread distribution in rural areas. Evaluating the knowledge and understanding of people's beliefs towards the disease is essential to the implementation of effective control measures. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP) and treatment-seeking behaviour concerning CL among rural populations in the western highlands of Yemen. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 289 household heads in four rural areas of the Utmah District. Data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire. All the participants had heard about the disease; however, only 9.3% attributed it to sandflies. Nearly half (48.1%) of the participants could not mention any preventive measures for CL, and nearly two-thirds (65.4%) could not do so for sandflies. The overall 'good' knowledge about CL was found to be 51.2%, and it was 33.9% for sandflies. The participants' attitude and prevention practices towards CL were not satisfactory, as only 38.1% and 16.3% had a positive attitude and good CL-related prevention practices, respectively. Moreover, 45.7% believed CL to be a stigmatising disease, and 50% had used traditional remedies to treat suspected CL lesions. Multivariate analyses showed that age, sex, presence of CL-confirmed cases in the same household, residency, occupation and monthly household income were the significant predictors associated with KAP concerning CL among the participants. The findings support an urgent need for integrated health education and community mobilisation interventions to improve awareness of these vulnerable populations about this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manal A Al-Ashwal
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Abdulelah H Al-Adhroey
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Thamar University, Dhamar, Yemen.
| | - Wahib M Atroosh
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
| | - Sheikh Abdulhafed Alshoteri
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
| | | | - Talal H Alharazi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Hail, Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Taiz University, Taiz, Yemen
| | - Hany Sady
- Centre for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Meram Azzani
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yee-Ling Lau
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hesham M Al-Mekhlafi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Jazan University, 45142, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen
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Wijerathna T, Wickramasinghe K, Gunathilaka N, Perera A, Bandara S. The epidemiological trend of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Kegalle district, Sri Lanka: a newly established disease focus and assessment of bioclimatic suitability for disease establishment using ecological niche modelling. Acta Trop 2022; 237:106719. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Gunathilaka N, Wijerathna T, Semege S, Pathirana N, Rodrigo W, Fernando D. Genetic diversity of Leishmania donovani isolates from cutaneous lesions of military personnel in the Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. ASIAN PAC J TROP MED 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/1995-7645.354420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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