Oman is globally acknowledged for its well-structured immunization program with high vaccination coverage. The massive spread of misinformation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the easy access to various media channels, may affect acceptance of a vaccine, despite the inherent trust in the local system. This cross-sectional study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) in Oman toward COVID-19 vaccines. It included 3000 randomly selected adults answering a structured questionnaire via telephone. Participants were 66.7% Omani, 76% male, and 83.7% without comorbidities. Their mean age was 38.27 years (SD ± 10.45). Knowledge of COVID-19′s symptoms, mode of transmission, and attitudes toward the disease was adequate; 88.4% had heard of the vaccine, 59.3% would advise others to take it, 56.8% would take it themselves, and 47.5% would take a second dose. Males (CI = 2.37, OR = (2.00–2.81)) and non-Omanis (CI = 0.49, OR = (0.42–0.57)) were more willing to be vaccinated. The history of chronic disease, source of vaccine knowledge, and education level were factors that affected the willingness to accept the vaccine. The Omani community’s willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine can be enhanced by utilizing social media and community influencers to spread awareness about the vaccine’s safety and efficacy.

Methods: Population-based data on all diagnosed people living with HIV reported to the National AIDS Programme in 1984-2018 were used. Results: As of December 31, 2018, the estimated number of people living with HIV in Oman was 3030; 1532 (50.6%) were aware of their infection. Of the diagnosed patients, 95.9% were linked to care, 85.8% were retained in care, and 84.3% were on ART. The proportions of patients with viral suppression out of all people with HIV, the diagnosed persons, and those on ART were 37.3%, 73.7%, and 87.5%, respectively. The proportion of patients linked to care increased from 72.6% in 2015 to 95.6% in 2018 (p < 0.001). Only 57% (947/1661) were retained in care in 2015, which increased to 76.9% (1193/1552) in 2017 and 85.8% (1314/ 1532) in 2018 (p < 0.001). Viral suppression increased from 75.7% (672/888) in 2015 to 84.5% (859/1017) in 2016 and 87.5% (1129/1291) in 2018 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: A sustained improvement in linkage to care, retention in care, ART coverage, and viral suppression was observed amongst people living with HIV in Oman in 2015-2018.

Achieving the UNAIDS target of 90% of HIV patients on treatment having VL suppression by 2020 is feasible in Oman.

Objectives: Stigma and discrimination undermine the quality of life of people with HIV and their access to health services. This study aimed to assess HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Oman. Methods: This cross-sectional study took place between July and November 2016. A questionnaire was distributed to 1,400 government HCWs to determine HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and practices. Results: A total of 1,281 HCWs participated (response rate = 92%). Routine tasks, such as dressing wounds, drawing blood and touching clothes, were a cause of concern for 24–52% of HCWs. Only 69% correctly answered questions regarding the transmission of HIV via eating/drinking and mosquito bites. Compared to other HCWs, doctors had significantly higher knowledge (mean = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19 to 0.73; P <0.001), attitude (mean = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.31 to 1.24; P = 0.001) and practice (mean = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.59 to 2.55; P <0.001) scores. Expatriates also scored significantly higher in knowledge (mean = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.93 to 1.23; P <0.001), attitude (mean = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.48; P <0.001) and practice (mean = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.82 to 1.34; P <0.001) compared to Omani nationals. Finally, those with >15 years’ work experience scored significantly higher on knowledge (mean = −0.60, 95% CI: −1.12 to −0.08; P = 0.025) and attitude (mean = −0.99, 95% CI: −1.87 to −0.10; P = 0.029) compared to those with less experience. Conclusion: The high rate of HIV-related stigma among HCWs in Oman should be rectified in order to achieve the 90-90-90 target set by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.Keywords: HIV; Social Stigma; Social Discrimination; Knowledge; Attitude; Professional Practice; Healthcare Providers; Oman.

We used population-based data on all diagnosed people living with Human Immunodeficiency (HIV) reported to the National AIDS Programme in 1984–2018 to describe the HIV epidemiology in Oman. A total of 3060 Omanis were diagnosed with HIV from 1984 to 2018. The proportions of new infections attributed to sexual contact accounted for 56.3% (376/668) in 1984–1996 compared with 80.7% (630/780) in 2013–2018. Of 1417 patients with a documented CD4 count at the entry of care, 45.3% had a baseline CD4 count of <200 cells/mm 3 . Compared with heterosexuals, homosexuals had higher rates of advanced HIV disease [42.7% (388/908) vs 50.4% (136/270), respectively]. Rates of advanced disease and death within a year of HIV diagnosis rose consistently with age at diagnosis. Approximately half (48.8%) of the patients diagnosed in 1984–2018 had died by December 2018. The majority (85.6%; 572/668) of people who were diagnosed in 1984–1997 had died compared with 12.7% (99/780) of those diagnosed in 2013–2018. However, people died more recently had a higher proportion of death within a year of HIV diagnosis [74.7% (74/99) in 2013–2018 compared with 13.8% (79/572) in 1984–1996]. This study shows that the HIV epidemic in Oman is a low-prevalence one. Of concern, a large proportion of new HIV diagnoses continued to present late, which has resulted in a substantial increase in short-term mortality over the past 20 years. Nevertheless, we observed a remarkable decline in overall mortality over time, which may be explained by the improvement in the quality of HIV care in Oman.