RESUMEN
Health workers (HWs) play a pivotal role in preventative programmes being implemented to combat the steady increase in the prevalence of HIV infection and AIDS in Nigeria. We report on a questionnaire survey conducted in October, 1993 among 111 doctors, 92 nurses and 53 non-health workers at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. The aim was to assess their knowledge of AIDS (for all groups) and the attitude of the HWs only towards the care of patients with AIDS (PWAs). Although important gaps in knowledge were found in all groups, doctors performed significantly better than non-health workers on 22 out of 23 knowledge items, and more than nurses on 8 of such items. Nurses scored significantly higher than non-health workers on 18 of the knowledge items and more than doctors on one knowledge item. About one in three nurses would hesitate to nurse a PWA, while half would not participate in birth delivery. Also, about a quarter of doctors would hesitate to treat a PWA while one in three would not carry out surgery despite adequate precautions. The findings compare favourably with those reported from other countries. However, they still indicate the need for a comprehensive AIDS education package to improve the knowledge base and allay fears for all groups and to prepare HWs for the important task of caring for PWAs.
PIP: In October 1993 in Nigeria, 111 physicians, 92 nurses, and 53 non-health workers at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital completed a questionnaire designed to allow researchers to compare levels of respective/relative knowledge about HIV/AIDS and to determine the attitudes of the physicians and nurses towards caring for persons with AIDS (PWAs). Physicians and nurses were more likely to have correct knowledge than non-health workers. In all but one of the 23 items, physicians scored significantly higher than non-health workers (p 0.001-0.01). The one item was no known cure for AIDS. Significantly more nurses than physicians and non-health workers knew that there is no known cure for AIDS (98% vs. 85% and 87%, respectively; p 0.01). Nurses had significantly higher knowledge scores than non-health workers on 18 items (p 0.001-0.05). Few respondents in all three groups (47% for physicians, 38% for nurses, and 21% for non-health workers) knew that HIV is not transmitted through kissing. 35% of nurses would hesitate to nurse PWAs. 24% of physicians would hesitate to treat PWAs. Most physicians and nurses (75% and 93%, respectively) believed PWAs should be isolated. 35% of physicians would not perform surgery on PWAs, even if they took adequate precautions. These findings suggest that health workers were not prepared to deal with an increased work load of PWAs. They also indicate a great need for a comprehensive AIDS education program geared towards all health workers to improve adequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS, to ease fears, and to prepare them for caring for PWAs.