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Abstract
Introduction: Tuberculosis is a widespread disease that affects millions of people and ranks as the second leading cause of death by an infectious disease. TB is a contagious disease that is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is one of the sustainable development goals and countries with high prevalence rates are not on track to meet these goals.
Objectives:
- To determine the level of knowledge of general public towards tuberculosis
- To assess the attitude and practice of general population towards prevention of tuberculosis
Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey based study was conducted in the Allied hospitals of Rawalpindi medical university during March 2022.Non-random consecutive sampling technique was used. People were interviewed. A standardized self-structured questionnaire was used. Data collected was analyzed using the latest version of SPSS.
Results: A total of 296 people were interviewed. Out of the total population, 109(36.8%) respondents knew that tuberculosis is a bacterial disease. 23(7.8%) Respondents have no definite knowledge about the prevention of Tuberculosis. 282(95.3%) were willing to visit a hospital if they developed Tuberculosis.
Discussions and Conclusions: The study suggests that we have come a long way in prevention and treatment on TB but we still have many more miles to go. It implies the urgent need to amplify the efforts to further improve the awareness of the populace about the symptoms and prevention of the disease. An increase in monitoring the vaccination program is needed, to ensure prevention of TB at grassroots level.
MeSH Keywords: Tuberculosis, Awareness, Prevention