Awareness Of Pulmonary Tuberculoses (PTB) Among The Major Working Groups in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The level of tuberculosis awareness among the major working groups; civil servants (CS), Non-governmental (voluntary/non profitable) organisations (NGO), students (STD), petty traders (PT) and commercial sex workers (CSW) - in Lagos State was investigated by questionnaire and interviews. 97.6% of the respondents (CS); 100% (NGO) 95% (STD); 5.4% (PT); and 33.3% (CSW) interviewed claimed to be aware of the disease. More than 50% of these respondents in all the class groups except those in the PT and CSW groups, were able to mention at least two of the most common signs/symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). The inhalation of infected droplet nuclei was identified as the route for the spread of the disease by just 50% of the CS, 31% (NGO), 45% (STD), 21.7% (PT) and none by the CSW. However, more than 70% of all respondents in the various groups believed that the disease is curable. The overall result showed that the PT and CSW are the groups or classes of the population in Lagos State that are least informed/aware of the disease, while less than 50% of those in the other groups can truly be said to be aware. Men were more informed than women, except in the CSW. There is therefore the need for a general mass enlightenment campaign targeted mostly at the PT and CSW groups, with the active participation/involvement of the electronic (and print) mass media.

Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine Vol. 9, No. 1 (1999) pp 58-61