A pilot study on the usefulness of information and education campaign materials in enhancing the knowledge, attitude and practice on rabies in rural Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: Rabies remains endemic in Sri Lanka despite a strong government patronized anti-rabies campaign. Personal, cultural or religious beliefs have been thought to influence health practices that could render rabies prevalent in the country. Methodology: The knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of 580 household heads/members from Nuwara Eliya District, Sri Lanka, regarding rabies were explored through a structured questionnaire. An improvement/deterioration in their knowledge and practices after the use of information and education campaign (IEC) materials was assessed through a repeat exploration at an interval of four weeks. Results: Respondents showed inclination toward animal birth control (60%) rather than elimination methods (24%). There was disparity between pet owners" enthusiasm to take pets for rabies inoculation (57%) and their ability to show dog vaccination cards (40%). Almost twice more pet owners than non-pet owners believed that it is their responsibility to control the population of roaming pet dogs (aOR=1.78; 95% CI: 1.14 to 2.76). The rabies leaflets were very effective in informing the people on how to deal with rabid animals, the earliest schedule

Knowledge and Perception of Rabies among School Children in Rabies Endemic Areas of South Bhutan

“…As discussed previously, rabies awareness programs are provided to students on World Rabies Day, and also following rabies outbreaks. Improvement in knowledge after rabies education has been reported in other countries [20,22,23,28,31].…”

“…The students usually did not know the fatal nature of the disease, that dogs are the most important sources of rabies, and that they must visit a hospital for PEP following dog bites, as local treatments are not efficient to prevent the disease. Studies conducted among students in India [20,21], Sri Lanka [22]), the Philippines [23], and Nigeria [24] have reported similar knowledge gaps, underlining the associated risks and the need for the specific rabies education in school children in rabies endemic areas. The knowledge and awareness of rabies was reported to be associated positively with several factors including the age of the respondents [25], sex [26,27], education level [20], dog ownership status [28], economic status [10], and religion [29].…”

Knowledge, attitude, and practice about rabies prevention and control: A community survey in Nepal

“…Regarding the treatment of rabies, both males and females were less knowledgeable about the rabies treatment and its availability. The Sri Lankan study reported that above 93% of the community, mainly female participants, were well informed about the rabies treatment and prevention procedures [ 22 ]. This might be due to multiple interventions in rabies control programs in Sri Lanka, and such activities were lacking in Nepal.…”

“…[ 23 ]. The high level of knowledge about rabies treatment in higher education and upper-class populations might be due to their access to multiple information sources such as government campaigns, activities of non-profits organizations working toward ABC and rabies control, and mass media [ 22 ]. This also applies to the Nepalese context.…”

A preliminary survey of knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding rabies in West Bengal, India

“…A large number of clinical studies have been conducted worldwide to highlight this key aspect. 4,5,6,7,8 Global statistics have shown that 90% of human deaths due to rabies occur in children. Deaths in children occur because they like playing with dogs and lack awareness about transmission of rabies by dogs.…”