AWARENESS ROLE AMONG MALARIA CONTROL WORKERS IN REDUCING INSECTICIDES RISKS, BAHRI LOCALITY, KHARTOUM CITY, SUDAN
Authors: Emaeldin Ibrahim , Ali Fatima Fadul , Elamin Mohamed Osman , Aburass Elfatih 
Published: November 2020

The use of insecticide leads to considerable health hazards for people, due to direct contact during application, contamination of food or drinking water. The effects of the dispersal and negligent handling of insecticide are a significant global health problem. WHO, estimated that one million unintentional acute insecticide poisonings occurred worldwide annually. It was expected that 735,000 cases of specific chronic effects and 37,000 unspecific health effects such as forms of cancer would occur annually. This emphasizes the role of awareness as a core element in protection of handlers.

The study was conducted as a quasi-experimental design in BahrI locality among Malaria Control workers  to assess the effect of health education on knowledge attitude and practice among Malaria Control Workers towards Chemical Insecticide Handling during the period of 2014- 2016 .

A sample size of 80-targeted workers was taken by total Coverage due to the limited number of workers. Data was collected by questionnaire, observation, interviews and Reports and records.

The methods used in intervention includes; training of trainers, lectures on insecticides hazard for human being and environment safe insecticides handling,   posters to explain the lectures , pamphlets about safe handling of insecticides and about insecticides poisoning and first aid of insecticides Poisoning  and videos to reinforce  the lectures. In addition use a comprehensive questionnaire pre and post to evaluate the effect of health education. Data collected was analyzed manually and by computer using SPSS program.

The results revealed that knowledge of workers about the hazards of insecticides to human health increased from 80% in pre-test to 100% after the intervention. The results also showed there is an improvement of the positive attitude towards the prevention of insecticides hazards from 92% to 100% after intervention due to health education intervention. Health education intervention increases the positive behavior of workers regards eat, drinking and smoking while handling insecticides to 100% of Malaria Control Workers in post- test believe that insecticides enter to body through inhalation while in the pre- test percentage was85%, 90% of Workers in post- test believes that insecticides enter to body through eating and drinking during work, while in the pre- test percentage was 70% and 100% of Workers in post-test  believe that the insecticides enter to body through Skin while in the pre- test the percentage was 65 %.that was due to health education intervention

The study concluded that health education had a remarkable improvement in knowledge attitude and practice among Malaria Control Workers and all those who were handling insecticides.

The study recommended that extensive health education programs, training, required to improve the knowledge, attitudes and practices of all workers about Chemical Insecticide Handling in Bahri Locality.

Further studies are needed to determine protective measures.