Occupational hazards among healthcare workers in Tanzania: a scoping review

Abstract

Purpose The implementation of occupational health and safety (OHS) measures among healthcare workers in Tanzania is suboptimal, mainly due to a lack of adequate resources. This study aimed to map the available research and identify research gaps on occupational hazards among healthcare workers in Tanzania. Methods A scoping review was conducted by searching relevant articles in MEDLINE, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science electronic databases. A total of 29 studies were included, and the data were extracted from these studies. Results Healthcare workers in Tanzania are exposed to biological, psychosocial, ergonomics, physical and chemical hazards. The majority of the literature involved biological hazards (71%), and research on other hazards was limited. Conclusion OHS need to become a priority public health issue to protect healthcare workers in Tanzania. More research is needed to understand the determinants of this problem in Tanzania.