Publication:

Effectiveness of special awareness campaigns in sustaining leprosy awareness through community participation in rural areas of Maharashtra

Background ALERT-INDIA had launched a strategic programme, leprosy elimination action programme (LEAP) involving all stakeholders, in support of integration of leprosy into general health system. Present study was performed with objectives to understand the effect of focused IEC in transfer of basic knowledge about leprosy, to assess the impact on the level of knowledge about leprosy in the community and to measure the sustainability of knowledge about leprosy over a period of time.

Methods Community level IEC campaigns under SSD and house to house leprosy IPC were carried out by trained staff of NGOs who partnered with LEAP and by trained community volunteers (CVs) from the villages respectively. The questionnaire assessment for IEC effectiveness through SSD strategy implemented is studied. The questionnaire was administered with the interval of 1 month, 3 months and 9 months after SSD to assess the knowledge retention, perspective and sustainability of leprosy awareness.

Results The lowest in SSD area was the knowledge about early signs followed by perception about deformity, spread, and cause. In non-SSD area lowest correct responses was in regard with early sign of infectious leprosy followed by spread, infectivity, cause, perception about deformity, patch as early sign and perception about social acceptance.

Conclusions Focused IEC as a part of selective special drive (SSD) with involvement of CVs properly inducted can increase the level of knowledge and help sustain the leprosy awareness.