02724nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260003300042100001200075700001300087700001300100700001800113700001300131700001400144700001400158700001300172700001300185700001600198700001500214700001500229700001200244700001200256700001100268700001900279700001700298245020700315856011100522520178900633       2021                            d  bResearch Square Platform LLC1 aOsei FA1 aNewton S1 aNyanor I1 aOsei-Yeboah E1 aAmuzu EX1 aMensah NK1 aNyarko OO1 aAmanor E1 aOdoom SF1 aAbubakar SY1 aDongyele M1 aMohammed A1 aAsare O1 aBoadi S1 aFuru P1 aMeyrowitsch DW1 aOwusu-Dabo E00aSocial and Behaviour Change Communication Intervention Improves Coverage and Acceptance of Ivermectin Mass Drug Administration in Onchocerciasis Endemic Communities in Ghana: A Quasi Experimental Design  uhttps://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-986375/v1/de398f30-ed32-4e7d-b022-a7d5153858a5.pdf?c=16353453413 a<p>Abstract</p>

<p>BackgroundPoor community awareness and social mobilization serve as a major barrier by increasing absenteeism and downplaying the relevance of the ivermectin mass distribution by community members. Inadequate awareness also creates confusion among community members especially when one intervention is mistaken for the other. MethodsWe designed a targeted Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) intervention with clearly defined and tailored messages of ivermectin MDA program targeting onchocerciasis in endemic communities in Ghana. Quasi experiment was conducted with a total sample size of 2008 at baseline and 2113 at endline. ResultsAt baseline, 63.9% respondents did not receive Ivermectin during the previous year (2019) MDA programme and more than half of them (53.3%) were not aware of the drug distribution. The communities that received the intervention at endline revealed a significantly higher increase in coverage (SATT=0.123, 95% CI=0. 0.073, 0.173, p&lt;0.001). At baseline, uptake rate of 91.0% was recorded. Post the intervention, there was an increase in the proportion of respondents who ingested the MDA drugs (ivermectin) from 91.0% to 95.45%. Previous uptake of MDA drugs (AOR=10.67; 95%CI: 5.59-20.38, p&lt;0.001), Perceived benefit of MDA drug (AOR=4.13; 95%CI: 1.69-10.15, p&lt;0.001) and being aware of the MDA programme (AOR=2.28; 95%CI: 1.00-5.02, p=0.049) was associated with improved receipt of Ivermectin. ConclusionThe findings of this study reveal that SBCC intervention improves ivermectin coverage and uptake rate in mass drug administration. Further research with technological innovations which can enhance SBCC is recommended taking hind sight of the limitations of the study due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>