Evaluation of Health Worker Knowledge and Practice Regarding Visceral Leishmaniasis Case Detection in Jigawa State, North West Nigeria

Visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar, caused by Leishmania donovani, is an emerging neglected tropical disease in parts of northwestern Nigeria, and early case detection depends critically on health worker awareness and diagnostic competence at primary and secondary healthcare levels. This study evaluates health worker knowledge and practice regarding visceral leishmaniasis case detection in Jigawa State, North West Nigeria. A cross-sectional facility-based survey was conducted across 25 primary and secondary healthcare facilities in Roni, Kafin-Hausa, and Miga Local Government Areas, which border reported transmission zones along the Sudan-Sahel corridor. Health workers including nurses, community health extension workers, and medical officers completed structured knowledge assessment questionnaires and were assessed through clinical scenario vignettes. Facility readiness for VL diagnosis was assessed through inventory of diagnostic tools including the rK39 rapid immunochromatographic test and Giemsa-stained bone marrow smear capability. Literature from 2020 to 2024 documents significant knowledge gaps regarding VL clinical presentation, case definition, and diagnostic referral pathways among frontline health workers in North West Nigeria. This study generates a health worker competency profile and a facility readiness index to guide targeted capacity-building investments. Recommendations will be presented to the Jigawa State Ministry of Health and the WHO Nigeria NTD Team. Keywords: visceral leishmaniasis, case detection, health worker knowledge, Jigawa State, kala-azar.