Browsing by Author "V. Vanlerberghe"

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Determinants of bednet ownership and use in visceral leishmaniasis-endemic areas of the Indian subcontinent
(2010) V. Vanlerberghe; S.P. Singh; I.S. Paudel; B. Ostyn; A. Picado; A. Sánchez; S. Rijal; S. Sundar; C. Davies; M. Boelaert
Objective To document ownership and use of bednets with its determinants in the visceral leishmaniasis (VL)-endemic region where mainly non-insecticide impregnated nets are available through commercial channels, and bednets are being considered as a leishmaniasis vector control measure. Methods In August-September 2006, semi-structured household (HH) questionnaires and observation guides were used in a random sample of 1330 HHs in VL-endemic districts of India and Nepal to collect data on VL knowledge, HH socio-economic status, bednet ownership and use patterns. An asset index was constructed to allow wealth ranking of the HH. A binary logistic response General Estimating Equations model was fitted to evaluate the determinants of bednet ownership and use. Results The proportion of HHs with at least one bednet purchased on the commercial market was 81.5% in India and 70.2% in Nepal. The bednets were used in all seasons by 50.6% and 54.1% of the Indian and Nepalese HH owning a bed net. There was striking inequity in bednet ownership: only 38.3% of the poorest quintile in Nepal owned at least one net, compared to 89.7% of the wealthiest quintile. In India, the same trend was observed though somewhat less pronounced (73.6%vs. 93.7%). Multivariate analysis showed that poverty was an important independent predictor for not having a bednet in the HH [OR 5.39 (2.90-10.03)]. Conclusion Given the inequity in commercial bednet ownership, free distribution of insecticide-treated bednets to the general population seems imperative to achieve a mass effect on vector density. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
The poorest of the poor: A poverty appraisal of households affected by visceral leishmaniasis in Bihar, India
(2009) M. Boelaert; F. Meheus; A. Sanchez; S.P. Singh; V. Vanlerberghe; A. Picado; B. Meessen; S. Sundar
Objective To provide data about wealth distribution in visceral leishmanisis (VL)-affected communities compared to that of the general population of Bihar State, India. Methods After extensive disease risk mapping, 16 clusters with high VL transmission were selected in Bihar. An exhaustive census of all households in the clusters was conducted and socio-economic household characteristics were documented by questionnaire. Data on the general Bihar population taken from the National Family Health Survey of India were used for comparison. An asset index was developed based on Principal Components Analysis and the distribution of this asset index for the VL communities was compared with that of the general population of Bihar. Results 83% of households in communities with high VL attack rates belonged to the two lowest quintiles of the Bihar wealth distribution. All socio-economic indicators showed significantly lower wealth for those households. Conclusion Visceral leishmanisis clearly affects the poorest of the poor in India. They are most vulnerable, as this vector-born disease is linked to poor housing and unhealthy habitats. The disease leads the affected households to more destitution because of its impact on household income and wealth. Support for the present VL elimination initiative is important in the fight against poverty. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.