Background: In rural areas, multipurpose health workers (MPHWs) play a key role in implementing control measures and behavior change communication at community level to prevent and control mosquito-borne diseases.
Objective: To assess the knowledge of MPHWs regarding mosquito-borne diseases and control measures before and after single educational interventional training.
Materials and Methods: This interventional study was conducted among purposively selected 100 MPHWs of Patan district, Gujarat, India, from June to August 2014. After taking verbal consent, baseline knowledge of link workers regarding mosquito-borne diseases and mosquito control measures was assessed by predesigned, pretested, and semi-structured questionnaire. Single educational training for 45 min was given to the MPHWs and their postintervention knowledge for the same was assessed after the training. Assessment was done by Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Result: Baseline knowledge of the MPHWs regarding mosquito-borne disease was 83%, which significantly increased after the training to 100%. Baseline knowledge of the health workers regarding breeding places of the mosquitoes was 89%, which significantly increased to 96% after the intervention. Baseline knowledge of the health workers regarding the indoor and outdoor measures for vector control was 4% and 39%, respectively, which significantly increased to 73% and 89%, respectively, after the intervention. Baseline knowledge of the health workers regarding the signs and symptoms of malaria, dengue, and chickungunya were 79%, 26%, and 22%, respectively, which significantly increased to 84%, 76%, and 90%, respectively, after the intervention.
Conclusion: There was a significant improvement in the knowledge regarding mosquito-borne diseases and control measures of the MPHWs after our single education session. Such education interventions need to be done on a regular basis to improve their knowledge for a better control of mosquito-borne diseases.
Key words: Multipurpose health workers, mosquito-borne diseases, control measures, malaria, dengue
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