Objectives: To assess healthcare seeking behavior, stigma towards and awareness about TB.

1. Awareness, healthcare seeking behavior and perceived stigma towards tuberculosis among tuberculosis suspects in a rural community in southwest Ethiopia GemedaAbebe1,5, Amare Deribew1,5, Ludwig Apers2, Kifle Woldemichael1, JafferShifa 1, Markos Tesfaye1, Alemseged Abdisa1, Fetene Deribie1, Chali Jira1, Mesele Bezabih1, Abraham Assefa3, Luc Duchateau4, Robert Colebunders2,5 1Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia; 2Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; 3Armauer Hanssen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 4University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium; 5University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium Introduction: Lack of awareness and stigma towards tuberculosis(TB) could contribute to the late presentation and low detection rate of TB. Awareness and stigma towards TB is affected by socio-economic variables. Low awareness, stigma and discrimination affect the healthcare seeking behavior . Objectives: To assess healthcare seeking behavior, stigma towards and awareness about TB. Materials and methods: A community based cross sectional survey was conducted from February to March 2009 in the Gilgel Gibe Field Research area. Any person 15 years and above with cough for at least 2 weeks was considered as a tuberculosis suspect and included in the study. Data were collected by trained personnel using a pretested structured questionnaire. • Results • Study participants characteristics • Total number of TB suspects – 476 • Duration of cough • > 8 weeks- 135 (32.8%), • 4-8 weeks- 143 (30.0 %) • 2-3 weeks -177 (37.2%) • Awareness about TB • Ever heard of TB- 395 (83%) • Perceived causes of TB • “Evil eye”- 199(50.4%) • Germs- 133(33.7%) • Satan and witchcraft- 63(15.9%) • Perceived organ affected by TB • Lungs -91.6% • Intestine- 35(8.9%) • Bone -33(8.4%) • Others- 24(6.1%) • Perceived symptoms of TB • Cough >= 2 weeks - 294 (74.4%) • Hemoptysis - 200 (50.6%) • Fever >= 2 weeks - 152 (38.5%) • Weight loss and fatigue- 146 (37%) • Night sweats - 125 (31.6%) • Shortness of breath -104 (26.3%) • Chest pain -91 (23.0%) • Loss of appetite- 44 (11.1%) Table 2. Attitude of TB suspects who ever heard of TB (N=390) towards TB in the Gilgel Gibe field research area, southwest Ethiopia, March 2009. Table 1- Multivariate analysis of factors associated with knowledge on the cause of tuberculosis among tuberculosis suspects in Gilgel Gibe field research area, south west Ethiopia, March 2009. Actions taken for their illness: Of all the TB suspects, 220 (46.2%) did not seek help for their illness; 120 (25.2%) contacted a health institution and 125 (26.3%) went to drug vendors. Conclusion: There was little knowledge about TB in the Gilgel Gibe field research area. We observed inappropriate health care seeking behavior and stigma towards TB. TB control programs in Ethiopia should educate rural communities, particularly females and non educated individuals, about the cause and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of TB. References: Mangesho PE, Shayo E, Makunde WH, Keto GB, Mandara CI, et al. (2007) Community knowledge, attitudes and practices towards tuberculosis and its treatment in Mpwapwa district, central Tanzania. Tanzan Health Res Bull 9: 38-43. Hoa NP, Thorson AE, Long NH, Diwan VK (2003) Knowledge of tuberculosis and associated health-seeking behaviour among rural Vietnamese adults with a cough for at least three weeks. Scand J Public Health Suppl 62: 59-65. This is PhD work done in the context of the IUC-JU project. Contacts: Phd: gemeda.abebe@ju.edu.et; supervisor: bcoleb@itg.be, Co-supervisor- lapers@itg.be