الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Although leprosy is one of the oldest diseases known to humanity, it remains largely misunderstood. The lack of understanding and knowledge about leprosy increases misconceptions about the disease, in the lives of people affected by leprosy are caregivers who take on different roles in their daily upkeep. These caregivers are among those who come into close contact with people affected by leprosy and also interact freely with the general public attitudes. Family practices are keys to preventing illness, infection and disabilities. They support the patient during Long-term medical treatment of leprosy. Egypt is one of the global list of twenty-two high-burden countries for leprosy. Aim: The study aimed to assess of knowledge, attitude and practices of caregivers for patients with leprosy. Study design: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to conduct this study. Subject: A convenience sample of 165 caregivers was selected. Setting: This study was carried out at the Western Dermatology and leprosy clinic at Minia City.Tools: Four tools were utilized in this study; The First tool: socio-demographic data questionnaire. The Second tool: assessment questionnaire of family caregivers’ knowledge about leprosy. The Third tool: assessment scale of caregivers’attitude towards patients with leprosy. The Fourth tool: assessment questionnaire of caregivers’ practices towards patients with leprosy. Results: The results showed that 84% of caregivers had poor knowledge about leprosy, 77% had a negative attitude and 87.9% of them had poor practices. The caregivers experienced many barriers in care of patient with leprosy as unavailability of transportation 78.2% followed by misdiagnosis and improper treatment and pscho-social (low familial income and courtesy stigma). Conclusion: This study has revealed deficiencies in the knowledge, practices and negative attitude among the family members of leprosy affected patients. Recommendations: Applying educational programs for caregivers about leprosy and providing leprosy multi-drug therapy in primary family health centers to be available for all.