Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) on Dengue Fever in Burkina Faso: findings from the national household survey in Burkina Faso

A 2022 nationwide household survey in Burkina Faso reveals that while dengue fever awareness is moderate and willingness to seek medical care is high, significant knowledge gaps regarding transmission, treatment, and vaccination persist alongside inconsistent preventive practices and notable urban-rural disparities.

The Gist

Imagine Burkina Faso as a large, bustling neighborhood where a sneaky, invisible troublemaker has started showing up. This troublemaker is Dengue Fever, a sickness carried by mosquitoes. For a long time, people in this neighborhood didn't pay much attention to it, but recently, the troublemaker has been causing more and more chaos.

The researchers in this paper decided to act like community detectives. They didn't just guess what was happening; they went door-to-door across the entire country (both in the busy city centers and the quiet countryside) to ask 1,568 families three big questions:

1. Do you know this troublemaker exists? (Knowledge)
2. What do you think about it? (Attitudes)
3. What are you actually doing to stop it? (Practices)

Here is what their investigation revealed, broken down into simple stories:

🧠 The "Half-Empty Glass" of Knowledge

Imagine a glass of water that is only half full. That's how much people know about Dengue.

• The Good News: About two-thirds of the people (66%) have heard of Dengue. It's like knowing a storm is coming.
• The Bad News: Many people don't know how the storm hits. Only about half of the people correctly realized that mosquito bites are the delivery method. It's like knowing a thief is in town but thinking he enters through the front door, when he's actually climbing through the window!
• The City vs. Country Gap: People in the cities knew more than people in the villages. It's like the city folks have a better "weather forecast" app than the rural folks.

🛡️ The Shield and the Strategy

When it comes to protecting their homes, people are trying to build a shield, but the shield has some holes.

• Mosquito Nets: Most people (80%) said, "Yes, we sleep under nets!" and over two-thirds actually do it consistently. Think of this as sleeping inside a fortress.
• Cleaning Up: About half the people said they clean up standing water (where mosquitoes lay eggs). This is like mopping up the puddles in the driveway so the bad guys can't park their boats.
• Repellents: Many use sprays to keep mosquitoes away, like wearing a "do not disturb" sign.

🏥 The "Call for Help" Button

One very encouraging finding is that almost everyone (98.6%) said, "If I get sick, I will go to the doctor."
Imagine a fire alarm. If someone gets Dengue symptoms, they know exactly where to run for help. They aren't ignoring the fire; they are ready to call the firefighters.

🕵️‍♂️ The Missing Puzzle Pieces

Despite being ready to call the doctor, there are big gaps in the puzzle regarding cures.

• Many people don't know if there are specific medicines for Dengue.
• Even more don't know if there is a vaccine (a special training program for the body to fight the disease).
  It's like having a car that breaks down, knowing you need a mechanic, but not knowing if the mechanic has the right tools or a spare part in the garage.

🎯 The Bottom Line

The researchers concluded that while the neighborhood is waking up to the problem, they aren't fully equipped yet. The "knowledge glass" is only half full, and the city and country neighbors are on different pages.

The Plan: To win this battle, the community needs a better megaphone. They need clear, simple education to fill in the missing puzzle pieces (like how the disease spreads and what vaccines exist) and help everyone, whether in the city or the village, build a stronger shield against the mosquitoes.

In short: The people of Burkina Faso are ready to fight, but they need better instructions and tools to win the war against Dengue.

Technical Summary

Technical Summary: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) on Dengue Fever in Burkina Faso

1. Problem Statement

Dengue fever is an emerging public health threat in Burkina Faso, characterized by increasing outbreak frequency. Despite the rising incidence, there is a critical lack of data regarding the population's awareness, perceptions, and behavioral responses to the disease. This information gap hinders the development of effective, targeted public health interventions and vector control strategies. The study aims to address this by providing a comprehensive national assessment of the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) related to dengue fever across all health regions of the country.

2. Methodology

The study employed a nationwide cross-sectional household survey conducted in May 2022.

• Sampling Design: A stratified two-stage cluster sampling design was utilized to ensure national representativeness.
• Geographic Scope: The survey covered all health regions of Burkina Faso, with one rural and one urban area selected per region.
• Participants: The target population consisted of heads of households or their designated representatives.
• Data Collection: A structured questionnaire was administered via electronic data collection tools.
• Sample Size: A total of 1,568 participants were enrolled, with a demographic split of 52.0% male and 48.0% female.
• Analysis: Data were processed and analyzed using Stata statistical software.

3. Key Contributions

• First National Baseline: This study provides the first comprehensive, nationwide picture of community awareness and behaviors regarding dengue fever in Burkina Faso.
• Disparity Identification: It explicitly quantifies the urban-rural divide in knowledge and preventive practices, offering granular data essential for stratified policy-making.
• Gap Analysis: The research identifies specific deficits in understanding transmission vectors, treatment options, and vaccine availability, moving beyond general awareness to specific knowledge gaps.

4. Key Results

The findings reveal a landscape of moderate awareness but significant knowledge gaps and behavioral inconsistencies:

• Awareness Levels:

  • 66.3% of respondents had heard of dengue fever.
  • Awareness was significantly higher in urban areas compared to rural areas.
  • 29.9% of participants did not know what dengue fever is.
  • Only 49.0% correctly identified mosquito bites as the mode of transmission.

• Attitudes and Perceptions:

  • 88.3% of respondents believed dengue could affect anyone, indicating a broad understanding of susceptibility.
  • 98.6% expressed a strong intention to consult a health professional if symptoms appeared, suggesting high health-seeking behavior.

• Prevention Practices (Self-Reported vs. Consistent):

  • Mosquito Nets: 80.2% reported sleeping under nets, but only 67.6% did so consistently.
  • Environmental Control: Only 49.0% reported eliminating stagnant water (a primary breeding site).
  • Repellents: 45.4% reported using repellents, while 82.6% claimed to use them in practice (indicating a potential discrepancy between general reporting and specific usage frequency or a definition variance in the survey).
  • Urban-Rural Disparity: Practices were notably less consistent in rural areas compared to urban centers.

• Knowledge of Medical Interventions:

  • Significant ignorance exists regarding medical solutions: 46.5% did not know if specific drugs exist for treatment, and 56.6% were unaware of the existence of vaccines.

5. Significance and Implications

The study concludes that while the general population in Burkina Faso has a foundational awareness of dengue, substantial knowledge gaps regarding transmission, treatment, and vaccination persist. The disparity between urban and rural populations highlights the need for differentiated communication strategies.

Strategic Recommendations:

• Targeted Education: Health education campaigns must move beyond general awareness to address specific misconceptions about transmission and the availability of treatments/vaccines.
• Integrated Vector Management: Strengthening community-based vector control is critical, particularly in rural areas where practices like eliminating stagnant water are less prevalent.
• Community Engagement: Leveraging the high willingness of the population to seek medical care (98.6%) can serve as a platform for early detection and case management.

Ultimately, these findings underscore the necessity of integrating robust KAP-informed education with vector control to mitigate the rising burden of dengue fever in Burkina Faso.