Innovative Approaches to Improve Knowledge of Zoonoses among Wildlife Hunters and Traders in Epe, Lagos, Nigeria: A Community Action Network-Based Intervention

The West Africa One Health project is a multi-country project designed to utilise the One Health approach and deploy the Community Action Networks (CAN) to improve knowledge of high-risk communities on zoonoses. Majority of emerging zoonoses occur at the human-wildlife interface, of which wildlife hunters and traders are critical stakeholders. We assessed the effectiveness of a CAN-based intervention involving the use of a video documentary and case studies as model tools in improving the knowledge of zoonoses among wildlife hunters and traders in Epe, an established hunting community in Lagos State, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental study design involving a total of 39 consenting registered wildlife stakeholders was adopted. A pre-tested, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on the participants sociodemographic characteristics, awareness level, and knowledge of zoonoses pre and post CAN-based intervention. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics McNemar and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests at a 5% level of significance. The mean age of the participants was 46.7 {+/-} 10.9 years. Most (76.9%) identified as male and had at least secondary education (89.7%). The number of participants who were aware that diseases could be contracted from animals and that it could be through inhalation and close contact increased significantly from 13 (33.3%), 2 (5.1%), and 9 (23.1%) pre-intervention to 37 (94.9 %), 11 (28.2%), and 21 (53.8%) post-intervention, respectively. The overall median knowledge score increased significantly from 1 (Interquartile range (IQR): 0 - 2) pre-intervention to 3 (IQR: 2 - 4) post-intervention. The CAN-based intervention involving the use of a video documentary and case studies as model tools was effective in improving the knowledge of zoonoses among wildlife hunters and traders in the hunting community and may be beneficial for future practice.