EFFECT OF HEALTH EDUCATION ON LEPROSY PATIENTS

To assess the knowledge and attitude of leprosy patients before and after health education program. Interventional study (intervention being the health education program). City District Government Leprosy Hospital situated at Gadap Town in the Union Council of Manghopir, Karachi from 1st of April till 30th of September 2007. Fifty leprosy patients including both males and females were questioned in order to assess their knowledge and attitude towards leprosy. A health education program was conducted and the same patients were re-assessed later for the same variables. Awareness Index Patient was used as an indicator to evaluate the preintervention with the post-intervention results. Forty-eight percent (24/50) stated that it was transmitted by touching. Numbness of hands was noticed by 66% (33/50) of the patients as a first symptom. Leprosy is curable as stated by 98% (49/50) of the patients. Seventy-six percent (38/ 50) said that leprosy causes deformity. Social life of 92% (46/50) of the patients was affected after the development of leprosy. Fifty four percent (27/50) of the patients lost their job after the disease. Marital life of 80% (40/50) of the patients was affected after the development of leprosy. Fifty percent (25/50) of the leprosy patients were forced to leave the family. Health education program has improved the knowledge of 86% (43/50) of the leprosy patients. Awareness Index Patient for the pre-testing (i.e., before the health education program was conducted) came out to be 5% while after health education program it was 73%. Health education program has improved the knowledge and attitude of the patients regarding leprosy.