Asses Sing Mother’s And Caregiver’s Knowledge,Attitudes,Practices Towards Preventing The Spread Of Cholera Among Children Under Five Years In The West Point Community Of Monrovia,Liberia

BackgroundCholera remains a public health problem in Liberia despite increased efforts to create awareness.Assessment of knowledge,attitude,and practice(KAP)in the community is essential for planning and implementing preventive measures.Therefore,we assessed cholera KAP in a community in Montserrado County,Liberia.Children under the age of five are the main groups of cholera.We are working to investigate modifiable risk factors among Liberian children.In Liberia,Cholera cases are reported each year--231,254 cumulative cases recorded between 1985 and 2014.This research adopted to Liberia and other countries about the second-hand data of cholera literature review.The successful Cholera prevention and control framework is set out in the recommendations of the World Health Organization’s Cholera policy and is being used in current Cholera prevention and control initiatives in Liberia and in other countries’ strategies.While Liberian mothers have taken action to prevent and control cholera in their children,the results of the study indicate that there are many deficiencies in current mothers’ KAP.These include inadequate water sanitation and hygiene services,weak surveillance systems where paper reporting systems are used,poor access to Cholera treatment,only 62 percent of people receiving oral rehydration salts,and ineffective Cholera messaging methods.Exploring maternal Cholera prevention in children under 5 years of age and suggesting possible measures will help to avoid and control the epidemic in Liberia.Objectives1.To describe cholera KAP among mothers in Liberia.2.To explore factors influencing effective Cholera prevention by mothers in Liberia and recommend feasible actions in preventing and controlling cholera among the population in Liberia.MethodsMixed research methods were used.The cross-sectional study was conducted from January to September 2021 using quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques.The geographical distribution of cholera over time was quantitatively described,and the relationship between social development and demographic indicators and cholera incidence and mortality was analyzed.Qualitative methods were used to describe key contacts in the Liberian Government and other organizations supporting cholera control efforts in Liberia,and to analyse mothers’ knowledge,attitudes and practices regarding cholera prevention and control in Liberia.In addition,the draft Liberian National Intersectoral Cholera Strategy and Plan was used to identify gaps as influencing factors for effective cholera prevention and control in Liberia by comparing them with strategies,plans and guidelines in other countries.This cross-sectional study was conducted using a mixture of questionnaires and face-to-face interviews.ResultsThe study included 500 mothers or caregivers who met inclusion criteria and agreed to be included in the study.A total of 500 questionnaires were sent to the participants and all were returned.Surveys showed that low access to latrines,inadequate water treatment and sociocultural beliefs were obstacles to cholera prevention and control.Knowledge scores on cholera increased due to gaps in preventive measures.Given the high prevalence of cholera in Liberia(24.2%),there is a need to inform mothers or caregivers of their knowledge,attitudes and practices,and to raise mothers’ awareness of sanitation and water quality.Attitudes of mothers or carers showed that 63.4%were ashamed to seek help from hospitals or clinics.At the same time,58.8%believed that cholera was contagious and 78.9%believed that their beliefs and cultural practices might influence the spread of cholera.Attitudes were influenced by study variables,and we recommend health education for older and uneducated mothers and strengthening health education in the community generally.Conclusions and suggestionsConclusion:The community had a higher understanding of cholera etiology,transmission route and prevention measures.However,some behaviour patterns such as defecation and water treatment(using a covered toilet or flush toilet)still vary.In addition,maternal/guardian attitudes and perceptions of cholera were influenced by the severity of the disease and cultural beliefs.Some of these cultural beliefs may have contributed to the spread of cholera among the population.The results indicate that the low coverage of latrines,inadequate water treatment and sociocultural beliefs were not conducive to cholera prevention.It is necessary to take corresponding preventive measures,such as increasing the coverage of public toilets.In addition,the correlation between attitude,cognition and behavior was weak,and the positive correlation between cognition and behavior was the highest.Suggestions:We need to increase government input,strengthen the provision of relevant health services,particularly in cholera endemic areas,maintain mobile phone surveillance systems and improve the transmission of knowledge about cholera through communities to prevent and control cholera effectively.