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Knowledge,
attitude and practice related to management of
cutaneous leishmaniasis among physicians in tertiary
healthcare facilities in Sokoto, Nigeria
Awosan, K.J.1,2*, Isah, B.A.1,2,
Alayande, M.O.3, Enokela, E.4,
Makusidi, M.A.5, Agwu, N.P.6,
Abubakar, A.U.2, Abdullahi, Z. 2,
Aderahman, A.T.7
1Department
of Community Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University,
Sokoto, Nigeria.
2Department
of Community Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University
Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria.
3Department
of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Usmanu
Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.
4Department
of Family Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University
Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria.
5Department
of Internal Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyu University,
Sokoto, Nigeria.
6Department
of Surgery, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto,
Nigeria.
7Department
of Internal Medicine, Specialist Hospital, Sokoto,
Nigeria.
*Corresponding author
E-mail:
awosankj1@yahoo.com
Accepted 06 December, 2013
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Reports from studies
across Nigeria show that cutaneous leishmaniasis
(CL) has become an important social and public
health problem, particularly in the Central and
North – Western geo – political zones of the
country. In the absence of an effective
vaccine for the prevention of leishmaniasis, coupled
with the poor environmental sanitation and vector
control measures prevalent in many communities in
Nigeria, control of the disease in the country to a
large extent depends on early diagnosis and
treatment of cases. This study aimed to
assess the knowledge, attitude and practice related
to management of CL among physicians in tertiary
healthcare facilities in Sokoto, Nigeria. This was a
cross sectional descriptive study among 164 doctors
practicing in the two tertiary healthcare facilities
in Sokoto from October to November 2013. Data
collection was done using a set of pretested,
semi-structured questionnaires; descriptive
statistics was used for analysis. Recognition of CL
lesions was high (75.0%), 87.0% had accurate
knowledge of its transmission, while 89.9% and 90.0%
had accurate knowledge of its prevention by vector
control and treatment of infected persons
respectively. Majority, 63.1% of respondents that
had ever seen a case before and correctly recognized
the disease referred the patients to clinicians and
surgeons for appropriate treatment. Less than half
of the respondents knew pentavalent antimony
compounds (42.0%), amphotericin B (42.5%),
miltefosine (27.6%) and paromomycin cream (38.1%) as
drugs for treating CL. Only a few knew cryotherapy
(32.3%) and thermotherapy (24.5%) as treatment
options for CL. This study demonstrated high
recognition of CL lesions and accurate knowledge of
its transmission and prevention, but poor knowledge
and practice of its treatment among physicians in
Sokoto. These findings suggest the need for training
institutions involved in medical education to pay
sufficient attention to the neglected tropical
diseases in their curriculum at all levels.
Keywords:
Cutaneous leishmaniasis, knowledge, attitude,
practice, management.
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