Assessment of healthcare workers' knowledge and attitude on Ebola virus disease in Somalia: a multicenter nationwide survey

Abstract

Background In September 2022, a new Ebola outbreak was reported in Uganda, East Africa, and 142 confirmed cases, including 19 Healthcare workers (HCWs) reported. Ebola is not endemic in Somalia, but the country is at a reasonable risk of the virus being introduced due to the direct connection with daily flights from Uganda without border health control and prevention activities. Therefore, evaluating HCWs' Knowledge and attitude is crucial since this is the first time being evaluated in Somalia. The study's objective is to evaluate the HCWs' Knowledge and attitude toward the Ebola virus disease in Somalia. Method An online self-administrated cross-sectional survey was conducted among HCWs (n = 1103) in all six federal member states of Somalia using a validated, reliable, well-structured questionnaire. Data we analyzed using descriptive statistics and Logistic regression were used to determine sociodemographic characteristics associated with poor Knowledge and negative attitude. Result Over one-third (37.3%) of HCWs had poor Knowledge; the mean knowledge score was 7.97 SD ± 2.15. Almost 40.1% of the HCWs had a negative attitude; the mean attitude was 27.81 SD ± 8.06. Low-income HCWs (AOR = 2.06, 95%CI:1.01–4.19), Married HCWs (AOR = 1.39, 95%CI: 1.110–1.963), Midwives (AOR = 2.76, 95%CI: 1.74–4.39), Lab technicians (AOR = 2.43, 95%CI: 1.43–4.14), HCWs work in Jubaland state of Somalia (AOR = 3.69, 95%CI: 2.39–5.70), Galmudug state (AOR = 8.50, 95%CI: 4.59–15.77), Hirshabelle state (AOR = 3.18, 95%CI: 2.15–4.71) were more likely to have poor Knowledge compared to their counterparts. HCWs who work in Hirshabelle state (AOR = 5.44,95%CI: 3.58–8.27), Jubaland state (AOR = 8.47, 95%CI: 4.69–15.29), and Galmudug state (AOR = 4.43, 95%CI: 3.03–6.48) was more likely to have a negative attitude than those working in the Banadir region administration. Conclusion Most Somali healthcare workers showed good Knowledge and a positive attitude toward the Ebola virus. The implementation to enhance Knowledge and attitude must specifically focus on low-income HCWs, Midwives, Lab technicalities, and those who work in Hirshabelle, Jubaland, and Galmudug states of Somalia.

Assessment of prevalence and risk factors associated with Hepatitis B virus infection among blood donors in Mogadishu Somalia

“…This study revealed that the likelihood of HBV infection is higher among low-income and jobless blood donors compared to their counterparts. Generally, poverty and infectious diseases are interlinked, particularly HBV infection due to lower socioeconomic status often associated with poorer living habits [ 49 , 50 ]. For instance, sharing personal items like razors or nail clippers among individuals in poverty may increase the risk of infection, as HBV can survive outside of the body for at least seven days [ 51 ].…”

Associations between Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Hepatitis B Virus Infection and HBV Infection among Blood Donors in Mogadishu, Somalia: A Hospital-based Cross-sectional Study

“…Likewise, the attitude section used a scoring system ranging from strongly disagree (1 score) to strongly agree (5 score) or vice versa for negative statements with a maximum score of 60. Responses were categorized as negative attitude (< 60%), neutral attitude (60-79%), and positive attitude (≥ 80%) based on Bloom's cut-off point classi cation [28][29][30][31]. The practice section scored "1" for correct responses (always) and "0" for incorrect responses (never and occasionally), with a maximum expected score of 10.…”

“…The practice section scored "1" for correct responses (always) and "0" for incorrect responses (never and occasionally), with a maximum expected score of 10. Categories were designated as poor practice (< 60%), moderate practice (60-79%), and good practice (≥ 80%) based on Bloom's cutoff point classi cation [26][27][28][29][30][31].…”

“…Attitude scores ranged from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5), or their opposites for negative statements, with a maximum score of 60. Responses were categorized as negative attitude (< 60%), neutral attitude (60-79%), or positive attitude (≥ 80%) according to Bloom's cutoff point classi cation [28][29][30][31]. Practice scores assigned 'always' as correct (1) and 'never'/'occasionally' as incorrect (0), leading to a maximum score of 10.…”

“…Practice scores assigned 'always' as correct (1) and 'never'/'occasionally' as incorrect (0), leading to a maximum score of 10. These were grouped as poor practice (< 60%), moderate practice (60-79%), and good practice (≥ 80%) aligning with Bloom's cutoff point classi cation [26][27][28][29][30][31].…”