Abstract:

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease that has long been one of the major health problems. It affects individuals of all ages and both sexes. Poverty, malnutrition and over-crowded living conditions have been known for decades to increase the risk of developing the disease. According to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) hospital statistics data, TB is the leading cause of morbidity, the third cause of hospital admission (after deliveries and malaria) and the second cause of death in Nigeria after malaria. TB is an obstacle to socio economic development. So, this study is aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding pulmonary tuberculosis among rural communities of Gulu, Kano, Nigeria. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gulu from January, 2019 to March, 2019. Data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was performed to obtain the frequency distribution of the variables. Results: Among 335 participants, the study showed that the overall level of knowledge was low and the overall attitude and practices related to PTB was highly inadequate. Conclusion: Study respondents had basic awareness about pulmonary TB but knowledge on cause and prevention was inadequate. Their attitude and practices towards TB also need to be improved. Health education activities need to be intensified for the rural population to bring about significant change in their level of awareness on TB.

Keywords: KAP, PTB, Awareness, Gulu, Kano.

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