Khan Aisha, Ahmed Haroon, Amjad Shaheera, Afzal Muhammad Sohail, Haider Waseem, Simsek Sami, Khawaja Mudassar Rashid, Khan Danish Hassan, Naz Shumaila, Durrance-Bagale Anna, Shabbir Rana Muhammad Kamran, Arfeen Raja Zoq Ul, Ali Shahzad, Cao Jianping
Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, China.
Front Public Health. 2021 Jun 4;9:648900. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.648900. eCollection 2021.
The parasitic disease, cystic echinococcosis (CE), is a serious health problem in Pakistan. Risk of disease transmission is increased by economic and political instability, poor living conditions, and limited awareness of hygienic practices. The current study aimed to investigate the community perception and awareness regarding the risk factors of CE in Pakistan, from a One Health perspective. We conducted a community-based survey involving 454 participants in the major cities of Pakistan. Quantitative data based on knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP), the One Health concept, risk factors, and community perception of CE among the general population of the major cities of Pakistan were collected. The questions included those related to knowledge, attitude, practices, One Health concept, risk factors, and community perception. The Chi-squared test was applied to determine the associations regarding KAPs across socio-demographic parameters. KAPs had no significant associations with sociodemographic aspects such as age, sex, religion, ethnicity, education, marital status, occupation, or financial status of the participants. The findings indicated a lack of awareness about CE among the participants. Respondents were unaware of the risk factors and the One Health concept of CE. However, the community attitude and perception were positive toward the control of CE. Illiteracy, deficient sanitation systems and lack of awareness are the contributing factors to CE in Pakistan. It is necessary to make the community aware regarding CE and its importance. Increasing this awareness represents an important step toward the eradication and control of CE.
寄生虫病——囊型包虫病（CE）在巴基斯坦是一个严重的健康问题。经济和政治不稳定、生活条件差以及对卫生习惯的认识有限，都增加了疾病传播的风险。本研究旨在从“同一个健康”的角度调查巴基斯坦社区对CE风险因素的认知和了解情况。我们在巴基斯坦主要城市开展了一项基于社区的调查，共有454名参与者。收集了基于知识、态度和行为（KAP）、“同一个健康”概念、风险因素以及巴基斯坦主要城市普通人群对CE的社区认知的定量数据。问题包括与知识、态度、行为、“同一个健康”概念、风险因素和社区认知相关的问题。应用卡方检验来确定不同社会人口统计学参数之间KAP的关联。KAP与参与者的年龄、性别、宗教、种族、教育程度、婚姻状况、职业或经济状况等社会人口统计学方面没有显著关联。研究结果表明参与者对CE缺乏认识。受访者不了解CE的风险因素和“同一个健康”概念。然而，社区对CE的控制态度和认知是积极的。文盲、卫生系统不完善和缺乏认识是巴基斯坦CE的促成因素。有必要让社区了解CE及其重要性。提高这种认识是朝着根除和控制CE迈出的重要一步。
