title: Perceptions of the population and health professionals regarding visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: Based on theoretical qualitative research reference methodology, this study sought to investigate the perception of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) by social actors directly involved in the prevention and control of the disease. Thirty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with residents, focus groups were staged with 18 health workers in an endemic VL area and depositions were collected, which after being processed by content analysis revealed shortcomings and challenges. The population associated VL with dogs, acknowledged their co-responsibility in tackling the disease and demanded information. Health workers identified environmental sanitation as an essential factor for VL prevention. Among the shortcomings, the lack of information about the disease and culpability of the individual because of non-adherence to prevention measures were observed, especially environmental management. Probably, approaches emphasizing the role of the environment as a health promotion agent and the timely definition of specific environmental measures against VL, constitute a prospect for overcoming these shortcomings. The consensus is that the main challenge for enhancing the prevention and control might be the participatory and dialogical construction of these approaches between health professionals and the population.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Saúde Pública do Estado de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil, rferrazcarmo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rose Ferraz
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Carmo
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Zélia Maria Profeta
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: da Luz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paula Dias
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004777:Environment; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012499:Sanitation