Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC2025281 (Poster 148) | Published: 11 Aug 2025
Anefu Okpotu Gabriel1,&, Ishaku Adamu Akyala2, David Ishaleku2, Marcellinus Yanmar Ortese1, Shember-Agela Igbabul1, Daniel Eje Ukpabi3, Onyemocho Audu4
1Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, 2Global Health and Infectious Disease Institute, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria, 3Department of Epidemiology & Community Health, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, 4Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria.
&Corresponding author: Anefu Okpotu Gabriel, Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria, E-mail: anefureal@gmail.com
Received: 24 Mar 2025, Accepted: 09 Jul 2025, Published: 11 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Lassa fever, awareness, preventive practices, Makurdi, Benue State
©Anefu Okpotu Gabriel et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Anefu Okpotu Gabriel et al. Awareness of Lassa Fever and adherence to preventive measures amongst residents of Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(Conf Proc 5):00292. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO5-00292
Lassa fever remains a significant public health threat in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria, where endemicity and recurring outbreaks continue to challenge disease control efforts. Despite the well-established modes of transmission and clear national preventive guidelines, many communities exhibit suboptimal compliance with recommended preventive behaviours. This study evaluated the awareness of Lassa fever, adherence to preventive practices, and the contextual factors that influence these behaviours among residents of the Makurdi Local Government Area in Benue State, Nigeria.
A community-based cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. A total of 450 adult residents were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using structured, interviewer-administered questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including chi-square tests and logistic regression,were employed.
Findings revealed that 98.0% of respondents were aware of Lassa fever, with healthcare facilities (33.3%), radio (31.8%), and social media (27.8%) identified as the primary sources of information. However, only 33.3% of respondents correctly understood the mode of transmission. Although a substantial 96.4% reported engaging in preventive practices, just 70.0% did so consistently. Notably, only 7.1% actively avoided contact with rodents, and 10.4% maintained a clean environment. Adherence to preventive measures was significantly influenced by factors such as age, marital status, educational attainment, occupation, and cultural beliefs (p < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis revealed that financial and cultural factors had a moderate influence on adherence, with cultural beliefs negatively impacting preventive practices (p =0.035).
Although awareness of Lassa fever was high among respondents, there are significant gaps in understanding transmission routes, and adherence to preventive measures is often inconsistent. Financial constraints and cultural beliefs were the main correlates hindering compliance. We recommend targeted health education and tailored interventions to bridge these gaps and strengthen prevention efforts.
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