Awareness, knowledge, risk perception and uptake of maternal vaccination in rural communities of Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

Introduction: Knowledge and uptake of maternal vaccination has been reported to be low in low- and middle-income countries. Objectives: To determine the knowledge, uptake and determinants of uptake of maternal vaccination among women of child-bearing age. Methods: A cross sectional study was done among 607 women of childbearing age selected from rural communities in Ebonyi State using multi-staged sampling technique. A pretested, interviewer administered questionnaire was used. The proportion of maternal vaccination uptake and predictors of uptake was determined at 5% level of significant using multiple logistic regression model. Results: Most of the respondents (39.9%) were in the 15-24 years age group. Only 1.3% and 41.5% were knowledgeable and had received any form of maternal vaccines respectively. The main reasons adduced for non-receipt of the vaccine was lack of information (65.8%) and not being pregnant (23.5%). Pregnancy was the predictor for uptake of maternal vaccine among the study population. Conclusions: There was low level of knowledge and uptake of maternal vaccine among rural women and a myth that the vaccine is only given when pregnant. This calls for increase targeted enlightenment of rural women on maternal vaccine in order to improve uptake.

Hygiene practices in abattoir and slaughter slab, determinants and assessment of abattoir and slaughter slab facilities in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State South-East Nigeria.

Background: Workers in slaughterhouses engaging in unhygienic practices create conducive environments for zoonoses and meat contamination. Knowledge of hygiene practices and their determinants provides evidence for the design of targeted interventions. Objectives: We investigated knowledge and determinants of hygiene practices among workers in slaughterhouses and assessed slaughterhouse facilities in Abakaliki. Methods: Workers in the Central Meat Market abattoir and Slaughter slab Abakaliki were interviewed in a cross-sectional quantitative study to ascertain their knowledge and hygiene practices while abattoir facilities were assessed using a checklist. Associations were analysed with Chi-square while predictors were determined using binary logistic model. Results: We interviewed 188 workers 75.5% and 85.6% of whom had good knowledge and good hygiene practices respectively. However, hand-washing before and after handling meat (44.1%), cleaning work surfaces with soap and water (45.2%) and sanitary disposal of waste (6.9%) were suboptimal. Knowledge of good hygiene practice was a predictor of good hygiene practice (AOR: 4.6, 95% CI: 2.0-11.3, p=0.001). Well water and borehole were present in both slaughterhouses and cold rooms were available in Central Meat market abattoir. Conclusions: The level of good knowledge was high and this was a determinant of good hygienic practices. Training on hygiene practices is recommended to prevent meat contamination and zoonoses.