KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE ABOUT DENGUE FEVER AMONG SUDANESE PILGRIMS DURING HAJJ SEASON, MAKKAH SAUDI ARABIA

Dengue fever (DF) seems to be a serious risk and behaves as a severe public health issue. Therefore, this study aims to assess level of knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) about dengue fever among Sudanese Hajj pilgrims in 2017. Additionally, the study has intended to examine the level of education with knowledge and attitude against dengue fever among Sudanese pilgrims. The KAP of Sudanese pilgrims towards DF was assessed using quantitative research design. Questionnaires were distributed among Sudanese Hajj pilgrims in their residence in Makkah. The collected data was entered in Statistical Software for Social Sciences (SPSS) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. The study revealed that fever (78.4%) is the most significant symptom of dengue. Moreover, stagnant water container (91.8%) and the negative behavior towards the lifestyle (92.5%) will lead to the prevalence of dengue fever among the population. 13.5% to 73% prevalence rate is observed among Pakistani pilgrims, 37.5% to 53.5% prevalence rate is observed among Saudi pilgrims, 19.7% prevalence rate is observed among Yemen pilgrims whereas, 9.4% prevalence rate is observed among Sudanese pilgrims. However, the variables associated with the dengue fever are being assessed in terms of spatial and temporal aspects in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Thus, the awareness programs and platforms based on scientific discipline are recommended for the Hajj pilgrims.