Cutaneous leishmaniasis disease and vector related knowledge in endemic communities in Ghana: A 2023 cross-sectional study in the Nkwanta South District

Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease transmitted through the bites of infected female phlebotomine sandflies. With an evolving epidemiology in tropical countries, this study assessed the knowledge, attitude and perception about CL disease in endemic communities of the Oti region, Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in six communities in the Oti region, Ghana. A structured questionnaire was administered to 254 participants to evaluate CL associated knowledge, attitude, perceptions (KAPs) and health beliefs. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and Sankey plots were performed to determine the association between KAPs about CL and sociodemographic characteristics. Principal findings Thirty-seven participants with chronic skin ulcerations were identified with 21.6% confirmed CL cases. Of the 254 respondents, 97.6% (n=248) had poor knowledge about CL disease while all participants (100%, n=254) had poor knowledge about CL sandfly vector. The participants had good attitude (84%) towards CL and also exhibited good perceptive health beliefs about CL disease with positive perception index scores of 0.68 (CL disease awareness), 0.78 (perceived susceptibility), 0.91 (perceived severity) and 0.81 (perceived response efficiency). Conclusion Cutaneous leishmaniasis remains a major healthcare issue in communities in the Oti region with critical deficits in disease and vector knowledge. This requires continued surveillance and targeted health education in vector biology, disease aetiology and dynamics.