KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS ON INTEGRATED DISEASE SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE TOOLS IN KARIM LAMIDO LGA OF TARABA STATE, NIGRIA

Abstract

The effectiveness of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system is largely dependent on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare workers engaged in surveillance activities. Despite its critical role in early disease detection and response, there is a paucity of empirical evidence on these factors in rural primary healthcare settings in Nigeria, particularly in Karim Lamido Local Government Area (LGA) of Taraba State. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare workers on IDSR tools and examined their influence on disease surveillance activities in Karim Lamido local government area. A cohort study design complemented by a retrospective review of surveillance records was employed to provide a comprehensive assessment of IDSR implementation. The study was conducted across Primary Health Care Centres in Karim Lamido LGA, a predominantly rural setting reliant on primary healthcare services. The study population included Surveillance Focal Persons, Health Information Management personnel, the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer, and the Assistant Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested questionnaire and an IDSR data extraction checklist adapted from the national reporting tool (Form 003). Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and inferential methods, including Pearson Product Moment Correlation and paired sample t-tests. Findings revealed a high level of knowledge of IDSR tools among healthcare workers, with strong awareness of reporting procedures, notifiable diseases, and surveillance protocols. Attitudes were generally positive, reflecting strong professional commitment and recognition of the importance of IDSR. Practices were also relatively good, with active engagement in reporting, outbreak investigation, and data use, although gaps existed in documentation and adherence to reporting timelines. Inferential analysis showed a strong positive and statistically significant relationship between knowledge and involvement in surveillance activities (r = 0.85, p < 0.05), a moderate significant relationship between attitudes and involvement (r = 0.544, p < 0.05), and a significant relationship between practices and surveillance implementation (r = 0.618, p < 0.05). Additionally, IDSR tools demonstrated high effectiveness, evidenced by a very strong correlation between suspected and confirmed cases (r = 0.988, p < 0.001). The study concludes that healthcare workers in Karim Lamido LGA possess adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and fairly good practices regarding IDSR tools, which significantly enhance disease surveillance performance. However, continuous capacity building, supportive supervision, and strengthening of reporting systems are recommended to address identified gaps and optimize IDSR implementation in rural settings.