Analysis of KAP and Associated factors Regarding Zoonotic Disease in Western Hararghe, Ethiopia: A One Health Perspective

In many parts of the world, the line between human health and animal health is drawn very thin. People live in close quarters with their livestock, share their homes with them, and rely on their milk and meat for daily survival. This intimate connection is a lifeline for communities, but it also creates a hidden pathway for illness. Diseases that naturally live in animals can jump across to people; scientists call these zoonotic diseases. They spread through various routes: drinking unpasteurized milk, eating undercooked meat, touching an infected animal, or even breathing air in a room shared with livestock. Because these illnesses move between species, stopping them requires looking at the whole picture—the people, the animals, and the environment together. This approach, known as "One Health," recognizes that you cannot protect a family's health without also protecting the health of their animals and the land they live on. Understanding what people know about these risks, and what they actually do about them, is the first step toward building a safer future.

In the Western Hararghe zone of eastern Ethiopia, researchers set out to understand this dynamic within three specific districts: Chiro, Gemechis, and Tulo. They wanted to know if the local community understood the dangers of diseases passing from animals to humans, where they learned this information, and whether their daily habits matched their knowledge. To find out, the team traveled to these communities between October 2023 and September 2024. They spoke directly with 348 randomly selected residents, ranging from farmers and students to government workers and day laborers. Using a structured questionnaire and face-to-face interviews, they asked simple but probing questions about what people knew, what they believed, and how they behaved regarding animal-borne illnesses.

The results revealed a community that is largely aware of the danger but still deeply entrenched in risky habits. When asked if they knew of diseases that could pass from animals to people, a strong majority of 84.5 percent said yes. However, a significant gap emerged when the researchers asked for the local name of such a disease. Not a single respondent could name "zoonosis" or its local equivalent, even though many could describe specific illnesses like rabies, which they called "dhukkuba saree marate" (the disease caused by a dog bite), or anthrax, known as "abba sangaa." This suggests that while people recognize the symptoms and the specific threats, they lack a unifying concept that ties these dangers together.

Where did this knowledge come from? For the rural residents who make up the majority of the study area, the radio was the most powerful teacher, with 63.5 percent of them citing it as their main source of information. In the towns, television took the lead, followed by radio. Veterinary officials and teachers also played important roles, but the medium mattered: rural life relied on the airwaves, while urban life leaned on the screen. Despite these different channels, the core understanding was consistent. Nearly 80 percent of the people knew that these diseases could travel from cattle to humans, and an overwhelming 96.6 percent believed that these illnesses could be prevented.

Yet, knowing the risk did not always stop the behavior. The study found that risky practices remained common, particularly in the Gemechis district. There, almost every household shared their living space with their animals, and all respondents in that district admitted to eating raw meat. Across all three districts, the consumption of raw milk was widespread, with rates hovering around 70 percent. Even though 90 percent of people knew that drinking raw milk was a transmission route, they continued to do so. Similarly, while most people understood that washing hands with soap was a good idea, they were far more likely to wash their hands after touching an animal than before eating food. This disconnect between what people know and what they do highlights a deep cultural preference for raw animal products, often driven by taste or tradition, which overrides health warnings.

The researchers also looked at how different groups of people handled these risks. They found that knowledge levels varied significantly based on where a person lived, how large their family was, and their level of education. People living in towns knew more about these diseases than those in the countryside. Interestingly, those with a primary school education (grades 1 through 8) knew more than those with no formal schooling or even those with higher education. Students were the most informed group overall. When it came to action, the response to a sick person also differed by location. In the Tulo district, most people would take a sick family member to a health center, whereas in Chiro, many would first try to buy medicine from a pharmacy or visit a traditional healer.

Animal vaccination, a critical tool for preventing these diseases, showed a similar pattern of mixed success. While nearly all respondents agreed that vaccinating animals helps prevent disease, the actual practice of vaccination was inconsistent. Many farmers cited a lack of information, the high cost of vaccines, or the long distance to veterinary clinics as reasons for not vaccinating their herds. The study noted that those with less formal education were more likely to say they simply did not know enough to vaccinate, while those with more education were more likely to cite financial barriers or a lack of nearby services.

The study concludes that the community in Western Hararghe is not ignorant of the threat; they are aware of the risks and believe in prevention. The challenge lies in bridging the gap between that awareness and daily life. The researchers suggest that simply telling people to stop eating raw meat or sharing rooms with animals is not enough. Instead, health education needs to be continuous and tailored to local realities, using the radio and television effectively to reach both rural and urban populations. Furthermore, they emphasize that solving this problem requires a "One Health" strategy, where human health workers, veterinarians, and community leaders work together to address the root causes of these risks. Until the community can access affordable veterinary services and until cultural practices regarding food and housing are addressed with sensitivity, the cycle of zoonotic disease will likely continue.