Perceptions, attitudes and practices towards scabies in communities on the Bijagós Islands, Guinea-Bissau

A study reveals that while communities in the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau, exhibit satisfactory awareness of scabies—a neglected tropical disease—misconceptions about its causation and transmission persist. Personal hygiene is often misconstrued as the primary preventive measure, despite some recognition of early treatment's role in curbing spread. Treatment choices are primarily influenced by cost, leading to delayed care due to poverty and stigmatization, which further impairs quality of life by affecting social interactions, health, and school attendance. The research employed mixed-methods, combining key informant interviews with a community questionnaire, followed by thematic analysis for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative data. Findings underscore the need for improved education, affordable treatment access, and integrated control programs to address these challenges effectively.

Lopes, M. J., da Silva, E. T., Ca, J., Gonçalves, A., Rodrigues, A., Mandjuba, C., Nakutum, J., D’Alessandro, U., Achan, J., Logan, J., Bailey, R., Last, A., Walker, S., & Marks, M. (2019). Perceptions, attitudes and practices towards scabies in communities on the Bijagós Islands, Guinea-Bissau. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trz102