Abstract

This cross-sectional descriptive and qualitative study was aimed to study the people participation and their approaches toward the human carcinogenic liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini, prevention and control in Ban Chaun sub-district administrative organization (BCSAO) and Bamnet Narong sub-district municipality (BNSM), Bamnet Narong district, Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand between June 2013 and February 2014. Participants were purposive selected, included chiefs of sub-district administrative organizations, sub-district municipalities, sub-district health promotion hospitals (SHPHs), heads of village, and a further sample was selected with a multi- stage random sampling for public health volunteers, and villagers. The pre-designed questionnaire contained items for individualized status and the participatory steps of sharing ideas, decision-making, and planning, procession, evaluation, and mutual benefit, for the project O. viverrini prevention and control (POPC). In-depth interviews were used for collection of need approaches to POPC. With 375 participants who completed the questionnaire, it was found that people had a high level regarding to participate in the POPC, particularly in the process stage (X_ =3.78, S.D. = 0.56), but the lowest level was found in sharing ideas, decision making, and planning step (X_ =3.65, S.D. = 0.63). By comparison, participant status and organization did not significantly differ with people participation. In each step, Ban Chaun sub-district had a high level of participation in the step of sharing ideas, decision making, and planning toward POPC, more than Bamnet Narong sub-district municipality (t=2.20, p=0.028). Approaches for POPC in Ban Chaun sub-district and Bamnet Narong sub-district municipality included requirements for budget support, annual campaigns for liver fluke prevention and control, campaign promotion, risk group observation, home visiting, community rules regarding reducing raw fish consumption in their communities, and a professional public health officer for working in their communities, BCSAO, BNSM, and SHPH, for O. viverrini prevention and control. This study indicates that people realize that eradication of the liver fluke needs a continuous people participation for O. viverrini prevention and control in their communities.

Highlights

  • The Opisthorchis viverrini; carcinogenic liver fluke, is an endemic in the Lower Mekong Basin, including Thailand, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Cambodia and central Vietnam (Sripa et al, 2010)

  • This study indicates that people realize that eradication of the liver fluke needs a continuous people participation for O. viverrini prevention and control in their communities

  • The O.viverrini infection in Thailand was the first reported in 1955 (Sadun) and many strategies has been operated over period 1955-2000, the national prevalence of O. viverrini infection had fallen from 63.6% to 9.6% but the high prevalence rate is still found in the rural communities of provinces, Northeast (Sithithaworn et al, 2012)

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Summary

Introduction

The Opisthorchis viverrini; carcinogenic liver fluke, is an endemic in the Lower Mekong Basin, including Thailand, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Cambodia and central Vietnam (Sripa et al, 2010). In Thailand, it is estimated that 6 million people are infected with the O. viverrini (Jongsuksuntikul and Imsomboon, 2003). This figure indicated that it is a serious public health problem in Thailand, in northeastern and northern region (Kaewpitoon et al, 2008; Sripa et al, 2010). O. viverrini has been classified as Type 1 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization (WHO) (IARC, 1994)

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