Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is one of the world’s most serious public health challenges. Nearly all young children newly infected with HIV are infected through mother-to-child transmission. Only about half of the HIV infected mothers received ART and quarter of the babies born through HIV infected mothers receive ARV prophylaxis. This low coverage due to a high proportion of women delivering in private health facilities. Lack of policy for the private sector, inadequate knowledge and fear of occupational exposure are some barriers.Methods: A cross sectional study conducted among private practitioners enrolled in parent to child transmission (PPTCT) program in three districts of Karnataka. 175 obstetricians and pediatricians engaged in giving care to HIV infected mother and children were selected randomly and were interviewed using a pre tested semi structured questionnaire and the scores were graded.Results: Mean age of the participants was 38.95 years with SD of 9.12 years. The mean years of experience was found to be 14.36 years with SD of 6.45 years. The knowledge was average scoring 66.56%. The attitude and practice were 69.21% and 64.21% respectively. The mean score for KAP was 28.89 (9.56) out of 43 questions. There was significant association between age of the participants, specialization and years of experience with scoring.Conclusions: The knowledge, attitude and practice among private practitioners were average. To enhance the coverage of PMTCT, there is a need for strengthening private sector with strong political will thus reducing morbidity and mortality of the disease.

Background: An adolescent in the age group of 10 – 19 years is subjected to the vicious cycle of early marriage, early and repeated pregnancies, poor nutrition and ill health. Betterment can only occur by educating them and promoting health awareness and healthy behavior among them. A study to identify the lacunae in awareness levels among this demographic and measures to overcome the same through targeted education is the need of the hour.Objectives: The objectives of this study are to assess the existing Reproductive Health awareness among adolescent girls and to evaluate the change in awareness levels after educational intervention.Methods: An educational interventional study was carried out in high schools and pre university colleges in a city in south India. A total of 800 students from Class VIII to XII from 6 educational institutions were studied using a standardized, pre validated questionnaire.Results: The mean age of the study population was found to be 14.91 (+ 1.45) years. Teaching intervention improves knowledge on reproductive and sexual health (p < 0.001). Predictors of poor pre intervention knowledge levels: those with uneducated fathers (OR= 0.31, p=0.005); not on social networking sites (OR= 0.23, p<0.001); lower age (early adolescence) (OR= 2.46, p<0.001); school going adolescents (OR= 3.47, p<0.001)Conclusion: This study highlights the gross lacunae present among adolescent girls with respect to reproductive and sexual health awareness. Various measures must be put into place to ensure better reproductive health of the adolescent.

Background: Biomedical waste is any waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals. The quantity of solid waste generated in Bangalore hospitals is from ½ to 4 kg per bed per day. But segregation is done in only 30%. Health care workers have an important responsibility to segregate the biomedical waste and dispose them. Hence this study was undertaken with the objective of assessing the impact of intervention on Biomedical waste segregation knowledge among junior doctors.  Methods: The study design employed is a quasi experimental study with control and intervention design. The junior doctors were selected randomly. After written informed consent the participants were divided as two group of intervention and control group with 74 in each group. Data of pre-test was collected using self-administered and validated questionnaire. After a week of pre-test, training using WHO modules 3 on training of biomedical waste segregation based on IHWM was done only for the intervention group. After a period of 3 months post test was conducted for both the intervention and the control group using a pre tested self-administered questionnaire with questions very similar to the pre-test.Results: The difference is found to be with t-test value of 1.434 and df of 37 with significant value 0.160 (>0.05) for the control group. The difference is found to be with t-test value of 3.241 and df of 35 with significant value 0.003 (<0.05) for the intervention group.Conclusions: The knowledge of biomedical waste management was found to increase after an intervention.

Background: Medical interns are a vulnerable group with regard to occupational infections (OI) such as HIV and hepatitis B/C, a large proportion of which are preventable by following universal precautions and to some extent by taking postexposure prophylaxis (PEP).Objective: To assess the knowledge and practices, regarding OIs, universal precautions, and PEP among medical interns. Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed in August 2011 on medical interns of a tertiary-care teaching hospital using a pretested, semi-structured, and self-administered questionnaire. All interns willing to participate (113 of 127 interns) were included.Results: More than 97.5% respondents were aware of the possibility of infection via mucocutaneous exposure and needlestick injury (NSI), but less than a third were aware of the recommended first aid for such exposures. Only 54% were aware of the recommended procedure of sharp waste disposal; 36.3% interns reported to have had occupational exposure (OE), majority being NSI and suturing being the main associated activity. Less than a fourth were aware of the ideal time to start PEP for HIV and the location of an emergency PEP dose. Around 65% were aware of the maximum time within which PEP should be started and the course duration of PEP. Only one intern reported to have taken PEP. Conclusion:One of every three interns had OE. Knowledge and practice of measures necessary to prevent OE and OI was poor. Students must be sensitized frequently during the course and before the start of internship using a powerful teaching-learning tool. Abstract

Background: Karnataka, more so Bangalore, reported an increase in number of COVID-19 cases in early April 2021. Objective: To assess the burden of COVID-19 in the slums of Bengaluru city. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional multi centre community-based study was done in the 2nd and 3rd week of April 2021 in 24 different slums in Bangalore city. WHO cluster random sampling technique was followed. Swabs for RTPCR test and 4 ml of venous blood was collected from 728 subjects more than 18 years of age. Results: A total of 51 (7%) subjects were positive for COVID-19 through RT-PCR. Majority 33 (56.9%) were in the age group of 18-44 years. 148 (20.3%) subjects were sero-positive on blood examination and 18-44 years was the (59.4%) preponderant age group. Overall seropositivity was 20.3% (95%CI; 17.4-23.2) and RT-PCR positivity is 7% (95%CI; 5.2-8.8%) among the subjects surveyed. In the inner core area of Bangalore, seropositivity was 24.2% (95%CI; 21.0 – 27.3) and RT-PCR positivity was 8% (95%CI; 6.1-9.9). Two doses of COVID-19 vaccine were taken only by 1.55% subjects during the study period. Conclusion: The study showed that one in 5 subjects were sero-positive to SARS-CoV-2 and one in 15 individuals had active COVID-19 infection.