Incidence of Urinary Schistosomiasis Amongst Out-of-School Pupils and “Almajiris” in Dikwa, North Eastern Nigeria

Urinary schistosomiasis, which is one of the commonest forms of the parasitic disease is a major debilitating disease characterized by blood in urine. The study aimed at the exploration and description of the knowledge, attitude and practice of the community members with regards to schistosomiasis in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study of 302 school pupils and “Almajiris” 7 15 years was undertaken using a uniform set of structured interview schedule administered by trained field assistants. This was supported with some qualitative data collected from in-depth interview with community leaders and “Mallams”. One-third of the people interviewed were aware of the schistosomiasis. For a majority however, the perceived causes of the disease included witchcraft and sexual or body contact with infected persons.