Consumers’ knowledge, attitude and behaviour on Lassa fever in Akinyele Oyo State, Nigeria

The recent outbreak of Lassa fever in some parts of the country brings to the fore the need to examine the knowledge, attitude and behavior of citizens towards Lassa fever control/prevention. Lack of basic knowledge and awareness of its endemicity could constitute greater risk to the society. Descriptive Cross-sectional study using a developed validated questionnaire was conducted among 120 members (who are considered to be at risk) of possible endemic areas in four communities of Akinyele Local Government Area. The finding shows that the knowledge of the citizens is still very low as the results indicated that respondents don’t know the cause of the disease; the attitude and behaviour of citizens towards lassa fever prevention/control is negative. The result further establishes that gender does not affect community citizens’ knowledge, attitude and behaviour towards Lassa fever prevention/control. Lassa fever constitutes a health hazard in Nigeria, as the inhabitants of this area of Nigeria indulge in habits or activities that favour the spread of lassa fever. There is therefore a need for the development of strategic preventive methods that will stop the spread of the virus. The world is now a ‘global village’, and the previous geographical gap between developing and developed countries has been bridged by international travel disease. Hence, Community involvement and participation is necessary to provide sustainable Lassa fever control. Regular and professional seminars should be held for all healthcare providers on early diagnosis and treatment of Lassa fever, while diagnostic kits should be made available in hospitals.