Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward Epidemic Conjunctivitis Among Sudanese People, 2024: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Epidemic conjunctivitis is a highly contagious eye infection that has been endangering the general public health throughout Sudan, especially since conflict, displacement crises, and lack of a good healthcare system reign in this country. Although conjunctivitis is prevalent in Sudanese society, there is limited evidence regarding the population’s knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices toward the disease. Hence, the study sought to fill the gap by assessing these key parameters among Sudanese in 2024 amidst war. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey was conducted between November and December 2024 among adults across Sudan. Data were gathered using a self-designed questionnaire adapted from previous studies and translated into Arabic, which included sociodemographics; knowledge (causes, symptoms, and transmission mode); attitudes (perceived severity and health care seeking behavior); and practices (hygiene and traditional remedies). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, with a significance set at p < 0.05. Descriptive statistics were computed, followed by association testing using the chi-square. Results: Out of 400 participants, 67.8% were female, the median age was 24 years. Regarding knowledge domain, 96% heard about conjunctivitis, while 90% recognized it as infectious. Poor hand hygiene was the most commonly known risk factor for conjunctivitis (90.25%). Multivariable analysis showed that higher knowledge scores were significantly associated with older age, female gender, higher income, and having affected relatives. Most participants (86%) showed a serious attitude toward seeking healthcare, with preferences varying between professional medicine and traditional remedies. Almost half of the sample reported previous use of traditional medicine for conjunctivitis (53%), with tea being the most commonly used (45.3%). Tea was also the traditional treatment believed to have the highest effectiveness percentage (45.8%). Conclusion: While the general population has some basic knowledge about conjunctivitis, serious knowledge gaps remain in understanding the types of conjunctivitis, symptoms, and means of protection. Public health interventions should include information on the importance of hygiene, recognition of symptoms, and safe use of traditional remedies. It is crucial to fill this knowledge gap urgently to reduce conjunctivitis outbreaks in Sudan's poor post-conflict setup.