Sand Flies Control: A Review of the Knowledge of Health Professionals and the Local Community, Province of El Hajeb, Morocco

Karima El-Mouhdi, Abdelkader Chahlaoui, Samia Boussaa and Mohammed Fekhaoui
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Karima El-Mouhdi: Geobiodiversity and Natural Patrimony (GEOPAC), Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
Abdelkader Chahlaoui: Natural Resources Management and Development Team, Laboratory of Health and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco
Samia Boussaa: ISPITS-Higher Institute of Nursing and Technical Health Occupations, Ministry of Health, Marrakesh, Morocco
Mohammed Fekhaoui: Geobiodiversity and Natural Patrimony (GEOPAC), Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-14

Abstract: Sand flies are insect vectors of several diseases including leishmaniases. These vector-borne diseases represent a public health problem in several countries around the world, including Morocco. The objective of this study was to assess simultaneously the knowledge of health professionals and inhabitants on sand flies; a cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and June 2019 among 424 people, 34% of whom were health professionals and 66% of whom were inhabitants of the province of El Hajeb in central Morocco; 46.3% of doctors, 50.7% of nurses, 66.7% of midwives and 69.4% of inhabitants showed a low knowledge of sand flies. Most participants believed that sand flies breed in stagnant and polluted waters. Negative attitudes were found among 72.2% of the inhabitants. Factors associated with a high level of knowledge included continuing education among health professionals and information on vector-borne diseases among residents. The conceptual and cognitive gaps in the knowledge of sand flies reflect the lack of information and training on sand flies. The results of the sand fly knowledge review can be integrated into the national leishmaniases control program and the integrated vector management strategy to raise public awareness on the health risks of sand flies.

Keywords: sand flies; health risk; vector-borne diseases; knowledge assessment; entomoprophylaxis; Morocco (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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