Conference abstract

Health workers knowledge, attitude and practice during lassa fever outbreak, Anambra State, Nigeria, 2016

Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2018:8(46).05 Apr 2018.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2018.8.46.628
Archived on: 05 Apr 2018
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Lassa fever, health-care workers, knowledge, practice, Nigeria
Opening ceremony

Health workers knowledge, attitude and practice during lassa fever outbreak, Anambra State, Nigeria, 2016

Obagha Emmanuel Chijioke1,&, Simeon Ajisegiri1, Belinda Uba2, Saheed Gidado2, Patrick Nguku1, Franklin Onwokwu3

1Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, Abuja, Nigeria, 2African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Nigeria, 3Nigeria, Anambra State Ministry of Health, Nigeria

&Corresponding author
Obagha Emmanuel Chijioke, Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, Asokoro, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Lassa fever (LF) is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever caused by Lassa fever virus (LVF), Asymptomatic in 80% of cases; Lassa fever is associated with bleeding and multiple organ failure. It’s endemic in West Africa and Nigeria has been having severe outbreaks since 2014. On 18thAugust 2016, a patient was referred to a teaching hospital in the State with bleeding from orifices, hematuria, and bleeding from puncture sites. Lassa fever was confirmed post mortem. This study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitude and practice among health workers.

Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study among health workers in Anambra State. We assessed KAP using self-administered questionnaire and multistage sampling technique was employed. KAP score was computed using 12, 10 and 9 item questions respectively. Each item was assigned “+1” for correct Knowledge and “0” for incorrect knowledge. KAP was classified as good if > 75%, fair if > 50%, poor if < 50%.Chi-square with a significance level set at 5% was used to measure degree of significance of the association.

Results: a total of 128 health workers were interviewed, of which 109 (86.51%) were females, 2% clinicians, 34% nurses, 50% community health extension workers , others 14%. Only 10% were able to give the case definition of LF, 21% were able to mention drug of choice, 10% knew the reservoir for the virus and only 4.7% could properly describe hand washing. 15.6% had good, 32.8% fair and 51.6% poor knowledge. 75.8% had good, 20.3% fair and 4.7% poor attitude. 30.5% had good, 57% fair and 12.5% poor practice. Having attended any training/sensitization and duration of employment were associated with having good knowledge (X2 = 10.6, P = 0.005 and X2 = 32.7, P = < 0.0001 respectively). Duration of employment was also associated with good practice (X2 = 14.55, P = < 0.0001).

Conclusion: overall knowledge and practice was very poor but attitude was good. We sensitized health workers in the State.