Kovacic, Vanja, Tirados, Inaki, Esterhuizen, Johan, Mangwiro, Clement T. N., Torr, Stephen J., Lehane, M. J. and Smith, Helen (2013) Community acceptance of Tsetse control baits : a qualitative study in Arua District, North West Uganda. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Volume 7 (Number 12). Article number e2579. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002579

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Abstract

Background

There is renewed vigour in efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases including sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis or HAT), including attempts to develop more cost-effective methods of tsetse control. In the West Nile region of Uganda, newly designed insecticide-treated targets are being deployed over an area of ~500 km2. The operational area covers villages where tsetse control has not been conducted previously. The effectiveness of the targets will depend, in part, on their acceptance by the local community.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We assessed knowledge, perceptions and acceptance of tsetse baits (traps, targets) in villages where they had or had not been used previously. We conducted sixteen focus group discussions with male and female participants in eight villages across Arua District. Discussions were audio recorded, translated and transcribed. We used thematic analysis to compare the views of both groups and identify salient themes.

Conclusions/Significance

Despite the villages being less than 10 km apart, community members perceived deployed baits very differently. Villagers who had never seen traps before expressed fear, anxiety and panic when they first encountered them. This was related to associations with witchcraft and “ghosts from the river” which are traditionally linked with physical or mental illness, death and misfortune. By contrast, villagers living in areas where traps had been used previously had positive attitudes towards them and were fully aware of their purpose and benefits. The latter group reported that they had similar negative perceptions when tsetse control interventions first started a decade ago. Our results suggest that despite their proximity, acceptance of traps varies markedly between villages and this is related to the duration of experience with tsetse control programs. The success of community-based interventions against tsetse will therefore depend on early engagements with communities and carefully designed sensitization campaigns that reach all communities, especially those living in areas new to such interventions.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Divisions:	Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Population, Evidence & Technologies (PET)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	African trypanosomiasis -- Prevention, Tsetse-flies -- Biological control -- Uganda, Communities -- Uganda -- Health and hygiene
Journal or Publication Title:	PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Publisher:	Public Library of Science
ISSN:	1935-2727
Official Date:	12 December 2013
Dates:	Date Event 12 December 2013 Published 26 October 2013 Accepted 1 May 2013 Submitted
Volume:	Volume 7
Number:	Number 12
Article Number:	Article number e2579
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pntd.0002579
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Funder:	Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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