Programme de bourses "Echanges Universitaires"
Perceptions, attitudes and practices regarding the transmission and control of schistosomiasis, and dynamics of people’s socio-economic status in Ukerewe district, Tanzania
- a 5-week working visit at the Swiss Tropical Institute
Summary
Studies on perceptions, attitudes and practices, longitudinal assessment of the dynamics of the people’s socio-economic status and observations of human-water contact activities were conducted among community members in Hamuyebe village in Ukerewe district, north-western Tanzania. Our investigations aimed to establish baseline data before introducing the so-called participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation (PHAST) interventions, with is an integral part of a larger European Union (EU)-funded project entitled “A multidisciplinary alliance to optimize schistosomiasis control and transmission surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa” (project acronym: CONTRAST). Our research pursues a quasi-experimental study design and is based on a pre- and post-intervention comparison and process evaluation, which involves detailed studies in a community in which PHAST interventions are carried out. The study population will be observed before, during and after the PHAST interventions, to test, explore and explain the differences taking place as a result of the interventions. Methods for data collection are primarily qualitative, including questionnaire surveys, structured observations, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). Preliminary findings suggest that respondents’ knowledge of schistosomiasis was high but was not reflected in preventive and treatment practices. Water contact patterns of the study population revealed activities which involved large body surface exposure, long duration at times of the day when schistosome cercariae densities were particularly high (factors which are important in the transmission of schistosomiasis). There is a need to improve hygiene behaviour of the study community through PHAST intervention.
Figure caption
Training of trainers (TOT) workshop for community-owned resource people (CORPs) for facilitation of participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation (PHAST) strategy for schistosomiasis control in Ukerewe district, Mwanza region, north-western Tanzania.
Prepared by:
Joseph R. Mwanga
National Institute for Medical Research
Mwanza Medical Research Centre
P.O. Box 1462
Mwanza, Tanzania
Tel.: +255 28 250-3012
Fax: +255 28 250-0654
E-mail: jrmwanga@yahoo.co.uk
Jürg Utzinger
Department of Public Health and Epidemiology
Swiss Tropical Institute
P.O. Box
CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Tel.: +41 61 294-8129
Fax: +41 61 284-8105
E-mail: juerg.utzinger@unibas.ch