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Many still lack TB knowledge, according to study

Many people in Papua New Guinea still lack knowledge about tuberculosis (TB) .

According to results taken from the first phase of the Baseline Research Project titled ‘Tuberculosis Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (TB KAP)’ approximately 60 % of the population still lack TB knowledge.

The TB KAP project is conducted by the Operational Research Unit of the Institute of Medical Research. Geraldine Maibani, head of the Operational Research Unit at IMR, explained that the TB KAP project began in October 2008 to support the National TB DOTS program in the country.

The project aims to find out how much people in PNG know about TB. The first phase of the project ended in January, this year after completing the household survey in selected health facility catchment areas.

She said the first-phase covered five provinces Eastern Highlands, Morobe, Madang, Miline Bay, and NCD. The study carried out quantitative survey extensively on these areas, to find out how much the population is aware of TB.

Rebecca Emori, a social research scientist attached with the TB KAP project, explained that the baseline study was carried out in both urban and rural selected areas of each of the five provinces with the aim to find out the percentage of people who know and don’t know about TB.

She said surveys were conducted on selected areas in each of these provinces looking at people’s knowledge, attitudes and practices and general health seeking behaviors.

“We want to find out people’s knowledge, attitudes and practices about TB,” she said. “A lot has been done about HIV/AIDS in terms of informing the masses about the disease, but not enough emphasis has been placed on other disease such as TB.”

“After competing the first-phase, data from the survey shows that many people still lack TB knowledge (60%), and most live in rural areas of the provinces covered.”

She said that in the provinces of Morobe and Madang, although there is TB awareness by World Vision, many still lack knowledge on TB.

As shown in the data collected, of the 258 participants in Morobe, about 56% (145) were not aware of TB, in Madang of the 330 participants, 73% (240) were not aware of TB. While in Eastern Highlands, 313 participants, 57% (179) also were not aware of TB. For NCD, of the 145 participant, 52% (76) were not aware of TB. The data from this study is compiled into a report for the National Department of Health (NDoH) and other stakeholders to assist on how to improve and control TB programs in the country.

Research to support the rollout (second phase) begins with four provinces Simbu, Western Highlands, Southern Highlands and East Sepik this year as the TB DOTS program is rolled out to these provinces.

Field work for Simbu was completed last month and covered three districts, Kerowagi, Kundiawa Urban and Chuave. The study is funded by Global Fund through the NDoH.