Onchocerciasis, more commonly referred to as "river blindness," is a tropical disease that results in painful and disfiguring dermatitis and ocular lesions that can result in blindness and shortened life expectancy. The World Health Organization estimates that 126 million people are at risk of contracting river blindness. The disease is endemic in 35 countries across three continents. River blindness has resulted in greatly reduced productivity, poverty and famine. Currently there are two methods of intervention that serve to control the spread of the disease; aerial spraying, introduced in 1972, to eradicate the Blackfly vector, and Mectizan (ivermectin) a systemic treatment, introduced in 1987. Mectizan provides direct relief from the intense itching and prevents the onset of blindness. An annual dose of one to four 3-mg tablets renders the source of the infection inactive and eradicates all symptoms. At this time there is no intervention effort underway in Mozambique. The known obstacles to establishing a program in Mozambique include no definitive data identifying the geographic distribution of the disease, no practical mechanism for the distribution of the medication, widespread illiteracy, and a fundamental lack of basic health education. As part of an overall project to establish a medical relief effort, this study gathered needs assessment data to be incorporated into a geographic information system (GIS) based predictive model. The model will assist in identifying where the disease currently exists and which cultural, behavioral, social and economic variables contribute to a successful health education program to introduce the medication.
Learning Objectives: 1. Utilizing an LCD projected geographic information system (GIS) computer image, a learner will manipulate three or more needs assessment variables to demonstrate an eighty percent success rate in predicting the optimal health education intervention strategy. 2. Utilizing a table of cultural, social and behavioral data, a learner will prioritize those factors with a ninety percent degree of accuracy, which enhance and which deter the successful execution of an Onchocerciasis health education intervention program. 3. A learner will demonstrate with eighty percent accuracy, the skill of selecting from a list of possible intervention strategies the strategy that is most likely to yield behavioral changes in community with exceedingly high levels of illiteracy
Keywords: Health Education Strategies, Needs Assessment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.