Development of the Guideline for the Control and Prevention of Leptospirosis in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
Keywords:
Leptospirosis, L-CARE Model, 4E2C Concept, Disease Prevention and ControlAbstract
The objectives of this study were to examine the situation, problems, needs, model development, and effectiveness of an operational guideline for the prevention and control of leptospirosis in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, applying the 4E2C concept. The sample group consisted of 15 public health personnel, selected through purposive and simple random sampling, and 31 stakeholders from each district, selected through multistage proportional random sampling based on villages and sub-districts. The research tools included questionnaires, focus group discussions, record forms, and data recording instruments. Data collection took place from August 2024 to January 2025. The study followed three phases: (1) assessing the situation, problems, and needs; (2) developing an operational model; and (3) evaluating the effectiveness of the developed model. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, while quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentages, mean, and Paired Sample t-test. The number of patients was compared using frequency and median values.
The study found that the incidence of leptospirosis in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province increased during 2022–2023, with major challenges including delayed diagnosis and treatment, as well as a lack of community cooperation. The development of the Leptospirosis-CARE (L-CARE) Model consisted of four key components: C - Community awareness (raising awareness within the community), A - Active surveillance (proactive disease monitoring), R - Rapid diagnosis & report (quick screening and diagnosis), and E - Effective coordination (efficient collaboration). When the L-CARE Model was implemented, it was found that raising community awareness and enhancing coordination significantly improved knowledge and participation in disease control while also reducing leptospirosis cases. The findings confirmed that integrating epidemiological principles with community engagement enhances the effectiveness and sustainability of disease control efforts.
Public health agencies can adopt and adapt the L-CARE Model to suit their local contexts and utilize the findings to develop training programs for healthcare personnel to ensure continuous surveillance.
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