Perception and management of guinea worm disease among Ghanaian villagers. A framework for differential health education planning.

A survey, resulted from the immediate need to understand the health behaviour of Southern Ghanaian villagers during an epidemic of guinea worm disease. While such problems are usually studied at a time when the epidemic has abated, this study emphasized getting into the field quickly to obtain data before the epidemic passed. If behaviour models are to have value for programme planning in the developing world, they should be amenable to such quick sample approaches. The study involved a survey on attitudes, beliefs and practices related to gent. Results showed distinctive and somewhat differing perceptions of susceptibility, seriousness, curability and preventability for the two ethnic groups within a single geographic area. The analysis of the survey results permitted suggestion of various educational strategies for both of the groups. This quick survey approach must be more refined before it has wide applicability. There appears to be a significant potential for developing a simplified checklist to be used by health workers in carrying a rapid educational diagnosis of a specific health problem for a given population.