Knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare workers in paediatric HIV at Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital.

Background: Paediatric HIV remains a major public health challenge. Little is known about the HIV knowledge, perceptions, and behaviours of healthcare professionals caring for these children.

Objectives: To assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of healthcare workers (HCW) caring for children with HIV in a tertiary hospital setting.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital between July 2022 and September 2022. Healthcare workers, selected through purposive sampling, completed an anonymous self-administered KAP questionnaire on paediatric HIV.

Results: There were 94 participants in this study; 62 were nurses and 32 were medical doctors. Less than half of the HCWs (44.7%) had adequate knowledge. Doctors (87.5%) were more knowledgeable than nurses (22.6%). Areas in which there was a significant difference in knowledge (P < 0.05) were in breastfeeding, vertical transmission prevention, management of HIV and tuberculosis co-infection, the use of the polymerase chain reaction test, and first-line treatment regimens. The attitudes of the majority of HCWs were favourable and optimistic. Regarding practices, more nurses (60.7%) wore gloves than doctors (37.5%). The majority of HCWs (85.7%) disposed of sharps appropriately.

Conclusion: Despite the low levels of knowledge among study participants, particularly among the nursing group, favourable attitudes suggested that HCWs were willing to increase their levels of knowledge. Healthcare workers can be empowered in a supportive workplace by being offered interactive training sessions based on established guidelines.