Abstract

Chaltu Hinkosa*, Dinka Dugassa, Dejene Jifar and Ginenus Fekadu

ABSTRACT

Back ground: Although AIDS remains one of the world’s most serious health challenges; global solidarity in the AIDS response during the past decade continues to generate extraordinary health gains. Globally 34.0 million peoples were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2011, although the burden of the epidemic continues to vary considerably between countries and regions. Sub-Saharan Africans remains most severely affected ,with nearly 1 in every 20 adults (4.9%) of living with HIV/AIDS and accounting for 69% of the people living HIV/AIDS in worldwide ,in UNAIDS Report on the global AIDS epidemic | 2012).In 2011, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in adults was estimated 1.5% and approximately 1.2 million Ethiopians were lived HIV/AIDS in 2010; even if the prevalence of HIV/AIDS infections is decreased the number of peoples living HIV/AIDS are high, so this play the great in increasing the occupational exposure of HCWS to HIV/AIDS. Infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a serious public health problem costing the lives of many people including health workers. Hence, Ethiopia has developed guideline on the prevention of infection in health institutions in July 2004 and also employed the use of post exposure prophylaxis since the implementation of free antiretroviral in January 2005. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of health care workers about PEP against HIV/ AIDS in Shambu General Hospital, Horro Guduru Wollega Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Method: A cross sectional study was carried out to determine knowledge, Attitude and Practice of PEP for HIV/AIDS. Data was collected using selfadministered structured questionnaire and the data analysis was done SPSS 21. Result:- A total of 84 HCWs were included in this study. Most of the respondents 80 (95.24%) knew about the occupational risk of HIV/AIDS at the work setting among this needle sick/sharp cuts (91.25%), exposure to blood (87.5%) and then exposure to body fluid (53.75%). A significant number 73(86.90%) of HCWs had adequate knowledge about PEP of the risk exposures and 13.09% of the participants had inadequate knowledge about PEP of HIV/AIDS risk exposure and a 90.48% of respondents knew the correct time of initiation period of PEP. A total of 38(47.5%) of participants had ever exposed to HIV/AIDS risk conditions and from this 28(7364%) of respondents were who tried to get PEP drugs, the rest 10(26.32%) were did not tried to get PEP drugs.