Assessment of the knowledge, attitude, and practice related to visceral leishmaniasis among residents of Al-Suwaira city, Wasit Governorate, Middle East of Iraq

INTRODUCTION: It is important to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) related to visceral leishmaniasis (VL) to implement an effective control program. Hence, this study aimed to highlight KAP among residents of Al-Suwaira city in Wasit Governorate, Middle East of Iraq. METHODS: During March to May 2021, a cross-sectional study was done on 121 randomly selected residents. A normal self-administered questionnaire was used to measure KAP. Descriptive analysis was used to present the results. RESULTS: Overall, participants indicated average knowledge towards VL. However, the incubation period of VL (23.9%), the symptoms of VL (57.9%), and the diseases’ transmission ways (54.5%) were recognized as knowledge gaps. Participants had a positive attitude towards VL, as the majority of them (more than 70.0%) agreed that VL causes health problems in local populations and local communities should be actively involved in the fight against VL. Also, the majority of participants agreed that VL is a treatable disease. Regarding the practice towards VL, 110 (90.9%) participants had taken preventive measures against sand fly bites. The majority of respondents (44.6%) chose cleanliness as a preventive measure. The main sources of information that participants used to learn about the disease were the Internet (57.0%) and television (19.8%). CONCLUSION: Overall, participants had good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practice when it came to VL prevention. However, there were also some gaps. Hence, it is recommended that knowledge-based strategies be strengthened and implemented consistently to raise awareness among residents in the region.