HEALTH EDUCATION AND PROMOTION: ASSESSING STUDENT KNOWLEDGE OF VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

This study assessed the knowledge of 459 public school students in Sousa, Paraíba, on visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and evaluated an educational intervention’s impact. Students completed questionnaires before and after lectures and activities addressing transmission, the etiological agent, and preventive measures. Results showed a marked improvement: elementary students’ correct answers rose from 57.8% to 90.4%, and secondary students from 67.9% to 97.3%, reflecting enhanced understanding of disease concepts. The findings underscore the value of school-based health education, highlighting students as agents of knowledge dissemination and promoters of preventive practices in their communities. Integrating health education into school curricula proved effective for raising VL awareness and suggests a promising strategy for controlling other zoonoses while fostering public health engagement and capacity-building among youth.