Knowledge, attitude and practices about rabies management among human and animal health professionals in Mbale District, Uganda

Abstract

Objective To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of animal and human health professionals towards rabies management and also to establish the level of relationship between KAP. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2012 and March 2013 among 147 randomly selected animal and human health professionals in Mbale District. Of these, only 16 were animal health professionals. Quantitative data was obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire while qualitative data was obtained from 4 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and 2 Key Informant (KI) interviews. Quantitative data was entered into EpiInfo version 3.5.1 and proportions computed while qualitative data was summarised into themes and sub-themes resulting from content analysis of interview scripts. Findings Of all the respondents, only 44% (65/147) had sufficient knowledge about rabies while 25% (37/147) had positive attitude towards rabies management. A half of the respondents (50%, 73/147) had limited good practices. Respondents knowledgeable about rabies were more likely to have positive attitude towards rabies management (OR = 3.65; 95% CI: 1.60–8.3) while respondents with positive attitudes, were more likely to have good practices towards rabies management (OR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.01–4.86). Conclusion Respondents had low knowledge, negative attitude and limited good practices of rabies management. Regular refresher trainings about rabies to broaden staff knowledge and improve their attitudes and hence practices of rabies management should be conducted by the District leaders. Harnessing multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary collaborative efforts (“One Health” approach) for rabies control should be instituted to reduce the incidence of the disease in the District.

Rabies post-exposure healthcare-seeking behaviors and perceptions: Results from a knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey, Uganda, 2013

“…In the cases of other surveys, some report the number of bite events within a particular timeline while others pose no timeline for reporting bite incidences, making numbers and rates of canine-bites difficult to directly compare between surveys. A more recent KAP survey conducted in the Mbale district of Uganda concluded that of the survey respondents, only 44% has sufficient knowledge of rabies, and authors suggest that, even currently, more educational awareness regarding rabies is needed in Mbale [ 27 ]. Findings from another recent KAP survey conducted in the Moyo and Ntoroko districts of Uganda suggest that dog bites are still high, with 75% and 62.5% of respective bite rates [ 28 ].…”

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on Rabies among Human and Animal Health Professionals in Senegal

“…Knowledge of rabies was defined as a binary variable (sufficient vs. insufficient). In accordance with Monje et al [5], The health provider was considered to have sufficient knowledge when the sum of the scores of the 16 questions was greater than the mean score.…”

“…It is a major zoonotic disease that threatens global public health [3]. It causes an estimated 59,000 human deaths per year, affecting over 150 countries [4], with Asia being the most affected region, followed by Africa [5][6][7].…”

“…They are based on the premise that knowledge will improve attitudes and attitudes will improve disease care practices [18] without forgetting the complexity of these processes and thinking about the linearity of decisions. Indeed, gaps in knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding rabies among health professionals are some of the emerging factors attributed to the failure to control and prevent it [5]. For example, in Tanzania, studies have found that veterinary staff and doctors had low knowledge of zoonotic diseases, including rabies [19].…”

“…For example, in Tanzania, studies have found that veterinary staff and doctors had low knowledge of zoonotic diseases, including rabies [19]. Similarly, in Uganda, research has shown that 56.0% and 75.0% of human and animal health professionals respectively had poor knowledge of rabies and a negative attitude towards rabies management [5]. Collaborative studies have shown that the knowledge and practices of practicing physicians regarding rabies prophylaxis are seriously lacking, particularly in the management of suspected cases of rabies in humans [20,21].…”