Dear HIFA-Zambia colleagues,
Below are the citation and author summary of a new paper in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Full text: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011375
CITATION: Community knowledge, attitudes and practices related to Taenia solium taeniosis and cysticercosis in Zambia
Gideon Zulu et al.
PLOS NTDs. Published: August 10, 2023
AUTHOR SUMMARY
Taenia solium taeniosis / cysticercosis (TSTC) is endemic in Zambia. We aimed at assessing knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to TSTC and epilepsy in a community setting in Chiparamba area of Chipata district of the Eastern Province of Zambia. Understanding KAP is important in designing and implementing public health interventions for control and eradication of TSTC in a community. We found generally poor KAP related to TSTC among the community in our study area. This lack of knowledge about TSTC infections can lead to behaviours that facilitate the transmission and maintenance of T. solium infections and could hinder efforts to control the most preventable cause of epilepsy in the sub-Saharan African region. More efforts to improve KAP using a One Health approach for the control and elimination of TSTC are therefore required in Zambia.
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
