Abstract
Background/Objectives The drivers of stigma may vary from one society or country to another; thus, it is necessary to identify these drivers so that stigma elimination programs would be locally relevant. This study aimed to determine the current knowledge and attitudes on leprosy of healthcare workers in a tertiary government hospital in the Philippines which will serve as the basis for our future leprosy awareness campaigns. Methods We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among 265 healthcare workers in Rizal Medical Center (RMC), Philippines from January to March 2020 using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographics and study variables. Results A majority had high (36.2%) or medium (35.5%) knowledge on leprosy. A majority (62.3%) had positive attitudes towards leprosy. However, only 18.5% knew that leprosy is transmitted through inhalation and a majority thought that it is transmitted either through body fluids and secretions (52.8%) or open wounds (27.5%). Only about half knew that a patient on treatment can no longer transmit the disease and does not need to be isolated, and that a patient who has completed treatment but still exhibits manifestations of the disease can no longer transmit the disease. Conclusion Although a majority had either high or medium knowledge on leprosy and a positive attitude towards leprosy, we identified misconceptions and knowledge gaps centered on its mode of transmission and transmissibility which can lead to inappropriate fear of acquiring the disease from patients.
Highlights
Leprosy has been eliminated as a public health problem at the global level since year 2000.1In 2019, over 200,000 new cases were reported worldwide, 96% of which come from the 23 global priority countries.[2]
In 2020, 1057 new cases were detected in the country with the highest number of new cases registered in the National Capital Region (NCR).[5]
healthcare workers (HCWs) in Rizal Medical Center (RMC) are divided into four main hospital divisions—Medical, Nursing, Hospital Operations and Patient Support (HOPS), and Finance
Summary
Leprosy has been eliminated as a public health problem at the global level since year 2000.1In 2019, over 200,000 new cases were reported worldwide, 96% of which come from the 23 global priority countries.[2]. Leprosy has been eliminated as a public health problem at the global level since year 2000.1. The Philippines is one of these global priority countries[3] and elimination as a public health problem at the national level has been sustained, there are still pockets of high endemicity.[4]. To further reduce the burden of leprosy in the country, interventions are focused on early case detection and prompt treatment.[6]. One barrier to such is the stigma associated with leprosy.[2,6–9]. This has dated back to ancient times and has driven persons affected with leprosy towards concealment and hesitancy in seeking help, leading to disease progression and facilitating transmission within families and communities.[6,8–11]. Misconceptions, inadequate knowledge, and negative attitudes are some of the drivers of stigma.[7–11,14–16] The drivers of stigma may vary from one society, culture, or country to another; it is necessary to identify these so that stigma elimination programs can be tailored.[7,11,14,17] Stigma exists in communities and in the healthcare setting.[2,15]
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