Abstract

Schistosomiasis is Africa’s second most common parasitosis in terms of morbidity and mortality. Humans have been identified as being primarily responsible for the persistence and dissemination of the disease within their environment. The aim of this study was to assess the theoretical and behavioral knowledge of an at-risk population in the control of schistosomiasis.

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from September 2021 to January 2022 in four villages in Burkina Faso: Pana, Vy, Bourzem, and Zam. The study population consisted of individuals aged 7-59 years, who were recruited from randomly selected households; any eligible person in each household who consented to participate was surveyed. A questionnaire was used to collect information on knowledge about schistosomiasis, attitudes, and practices at the individual level, as well as control behavior.

A total of 527 participants were surveyed in the villages. The mean age was 26.76 (+/-14.22) years. The sex ratio was 0.84. More than half of the participants (59.27%) had never attended school. The symptoms of schistosomiasis were unknown to 42.13% of the participants. Bathing in contaminated water was known as a way of contamination by 29.22% of participants. Among the participants, 40.55% were aware of mass treatment campaigns, however, 43.19% of them found them ineffective. More than half (51.16%) of those using the village water point did not know that they were at risk of contracting the disease. Of the 20.89% of participants with a history of schistosomiasis, 22.22% used traditional medicines.

The inadequate knowledge of the study population shows their vulnerability to the disease. The approximate attitude and practices highlight the socio-cultural specificities that influence the adoption of good practices in the control of the disease.

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