02691nas a2200193   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653004200058653003200100100001400132700001300146700001300159245014000172856016700312300001100479490000600490520198700496022001402483       2020                            d  bElsevier BV10aHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice10aVisceral leishmaniasis (VL)1 aMelkamu H1 aBeyene A1 aZegeye D00aKnowledge, attitude and practices of the resident community about visceral leishmaniasis in West Armachiho district, Northwest Ethiopia  uhttps://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S2405844019368112?token=E24E01C4027B16AA5AADF32D0395158BF808B1809D6BE1BBC0975CB245BA05167E0D93D379173B31B6F3C3D588AC61DB  ae031520 v63 aVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar is a tropical disease, which is caused by an obligate intracellular parasite of the genus Leishmania. It is transmitted by the bite of an infected phlebotomine sand fly. The disease is endemic in northwest part of Ethiopia particularly in areas bordering Sudan. Assessing the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of the community is helpful to design and implement appropriate control and prevention strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the KAP of the resident community on VL in West Armachiho district, northwest Ethiopia. Data were collected by using pretested and well-structured questionnaire. Two villages (Abderafi and Abrehajira) were selected randomly. Households engaged in the study were selected by systematic random sampling method and then finally, simple random sampling was used to engage a maximum of two individuals per household. A total of 422 participants were engaged in the study. Almost all participants heard about VL. The source of information was mainly from friends (80.8%). The highest proportion (88.2%) of participants thought that persistent enlargement of liver and spleen (enlargement of the abdomen) was the main symptom of VL. Of all participants, only 52.1% knew sand fly as the vector of the disease. The overall assessment of participants indicated that 21.1% were knowledgeable, 53.6% had positive attitudes and 14.9% had optimal practices on VL. In conclusion, the survey indicated that participants had better attitude about VL. However, there were a large gap in knowledge and practices. The misunderstanding and incorrect practices may remain serious concerns in the control and prevention of the disease. It is recommended that health education program should be strengthened to increase peoples’ awareness and improve their practices on VL in the district and further studies are strongly suggested for better understanding of the dynamics of the disease in the area.  a2405-8440