Knowledge and awareness of neglected tropical diseases and control strategies among healthcare students in five Asian countries: A cross-sectional study

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) usually affect the population living in poverty, especially in low- and middle-income countries located in tropical and subtropical regions. This study aimed to assess the awareness of NTDs and willingness to participate in prevention and control measures and their...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Clinical epidemiology and global health Vol. 27; p. 101576
Main Authors:	Htay, Mila Nu Nu, Swed, Sarya, Elsayed, MohamedE.G., Yasir Arafat, S.M., Marthoenis, Marthoenis, Marzo, Roy Rillera, El-Abasiri, Radwa Abdullah Abdelatif, Naing, Zay Yar, San, Lin Phyo Phyo, Thantry, Anita Devi Krishnan, Kyaw, Thin Mon, Myint, Wai Wai, Gurusamy, Jayakumar, Lutfi Abas, Adinegara Bin, Moe, Soe
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier B.V 01-05-2024 Elsevier
Subjects:	Allied health students Asia Medical students Neglected tropical diseases Prevention and control Neglected tropical diseases Medical students Allied health students Prevention and control Asia
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Summary:	Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) usually affect the population living in poverty, especially in low- and middle-income countries located in tropical and subtropical regions. This study aimed to assess the awareness of NTDs and willingness to participate in prevention and control measures and their associated factors among healthcare students in Asian countries. This cross-sectional study was conducted by recruiting healthcare students from Asia mainly Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Syria. Data was collected via online Google form and analyzed in both descriptive and general linear model by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). A total of 1115 respondents participated; among them, 66.1% were medical and the majority (>70%) of the respondents revealed their willingness to participate in the prevention and control programmes. Being a medical student (B = 2.00, P < 0.001), heard about NTDs in the country (B = 2.98, P < 0.001), and having friends or neighbours infected with NTDs (B = 1.19, P = 0.022) were significantly associated with higher knowledge on NTDs. The mean score of knowledge on prevention and control programmes was higher in respondents from Syria (1.74, p = 0.030) and Indonesia (2.32, p = 0.014) compared to other countries. There is a need for education and training on NTDs not only in medical but also in other allied health programmes curricular aiming to improve the knowledge and future multisectoral collaboration. Effective use of online platforms and social media to provide relevant, engaging content of NTDs, educational resources, and NTDs-related research findings could help to disseminate information about NTDs.
ISSN:	2213-3984 2213-3984
DOI:	10.1016/j.cegh.2024.101576