02312nas a2200325   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653002300065653002100088653001100109653001000120653001200130653002900142653003100171653001900202653002100221653002100242100001200263700001500275700001500290700001600305700001600321245009500337300001100432490000700443050003200450520149000482022001401972       1983                            d  c1983 Oct10aAdult10aAttitude to Health10aHealth Education10aHumans10aIndia10aleprosy10aNational Health Programs10aPreventive Health Services10aPublic Opinion10aRural Population10aUrban Population1 aKumar A1 aPrasad N S1 aSirumban P1 aAnbalagan M1 aDurgambal K00aCommunity awareness about leprosy and participation in National Leprosy Control Programme.  a701-110 v55  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>To evaluate the health education component of our National Leprosy Control Programme (NLCP), 955 adult community members and 225 adult leprosy patients were interviewed with a view to assess their awareness about leprosy and participation in NLCP. The early signs/symptoms of leprosy were poorly perceived by the community. Majority of the community (81%) and patients (75%) were unaware or held superstitious ideas about causation of leprosy. The spread of disease through close contact with patient(s) was better known to the community (65%) than the patients (45%); but the role of open cases in spread was stressed by more patients (17%) than community (5.5%). About 31% community and 23% patients had no idea about the ways to prevent leprosy spread. As against 89% patients, only 62% community believed in curability of leprosy with early and regular treatment; but 20% of the community members did not know where to refer patients for treatment. The causation and prevention of deformities were poorly perceived by 71% patients, and likewise 62% of the patients did not take precaution(s) to prevent the deformities. About 32% respondents were unaware of the efforts being made to control leprosy; and their (79-84% respondents) participation in NLCP was very vague. About 44% community members showed prejudice towards leprosy. The NLCP infra-structure and mass media could not educate community effectively. The implications of the findings are discussed in this paper.</p>  a0024-1024