ABSTRACT
Ignorance in the community is an obstacle that must be overcome if public health interventions for the sustainable control of helminthiasis are to succeed. Strengthening health awareness should be an integral component of all public health programs. In the context of helminthiasis, health awareness involves communication and understanding between health workers and the community about the nature and consequences of the infections that afflict members of the community and their families. People need to know about (1) the pathogens that share their environment, (2) modes of transmission, (3) risk groups, (4) how to get relief, (5) how to avoid infection, and (6) the benefits of control. Prospects of achieving this agenda of awareness will depend on opportunities for sharing information, knowledge of local resources, sensitivity to cultures and tradition, and the level of education of the people living where control interventions are needed.
