Project Materials

ABSTRACT

One out of every eleven persons living with HIV/AIDS is in Nigeria, where the virus is expected to affect an estimated 3.6 million individuals. Like in other countries, Nigerians see AIDS as a sickness afflicting “others”—those on the outside of society whose ways of life are viewed as “perverted” and “sinful.” These ideals are likely to cause prejudice, humiliation, and ignorance, which will impact many aspects of people’s lives, including their homes, neighbourhoods, places of employment, educational institutions, and health care facilities. Health care providers’ perspectives and actions towards HIV-positive patients at Nigeria’s Federal Medical Centre Owo were the focus of this research. Federal Medical Centre Owo in Nigeria’s Ondo State was the site of the research. Everyone who works in the center’s healthcare department was surveyed using a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A representative sample was drawn from each of the following occupational groups: medical doctors, nurses, chemists, physiotherapists, medical imaging scientists, health information managers, and medical laboratory scientists. Using basic random sampling, we were able to determine an overall sample size that was proportionate to the size of each unit. The data was collected by means of a standardised, self-administered survey. The respondents’ attitudes and behaviours towards HIV positive patients were evaluated by adding their scores. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, pie charts, and frequency distributions were used to display the data. The researchers used Chi-square inferential statistics to look for correlations between variables and how medical professionals felt and did things while caring for HIV patients. The p-value was set at less than 0.05 to indicate statistical significance. The Research Ethics Committee of Federal Medical Centre, Owo, gave its clearance for the research to go forward. Before taking part in the research, participants had the option to provide written permission. Of the 252 people who took the survey, 31.8% had a negative attitude towards HIV + patients, and almost half (48.8%) behave in an unprofessional manner when interacting with these people. The attitude of health care personnel towards HIV positive patients was shown to be substantially correlated with their exposure to blood and other bodily fluids or injuries sustained on the job over the last year (P<0.05). This research also found that there is a strong correlation (P<0.05) between health care personnel’ attitudes and behaviours towards HIV positive patients and their sex and professional position. The research also found that 37.7% of participants responded poorly to the questions designed to avoid prejudice against HIV positive individuals. All health care workers should lead the charge against discrimination against HIV positive patients, according to this study’s recommendations, which include including HIV/AIDS education in the training curriculum of schools attended by health care workers, creating HIV/AIDS policies in all hospitals, conducting additional research on the study, and continuing to educate and counsel health care workers on the disease.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

One of the most critical issues in public health today is the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which is especially severe in sub-Saharan Africa. Since its discovery in 1981, HIV/AIDS has progressed from a puzzling disease to a worldwide health catastrophe, claiming the lives of millions and causing profound changes in healthcare systems throughout the globe. An estimated 3.6 million individuals in Nigeria are living with HIV/AIDS, which accounts for around 9% of the worldwide HIV load. Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and is therefore bearing a heavy weight of this pandemic.

Numerous social, cultural, and professional issues impact the level of care given to those afflicted by HIV/AIDS, which has hampered the healthcare response to the epidemic. Frontline healthcare professionals are essential in controlling the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic because they treat patients and also influence public perceptions of those who live with the virus. Treatment adherence, patient outcomes, and the overall effectiveness of HIV/AIDS management programs are all profoundly affected by their mindset and behaviour.

Traditional views, religious values, and professional training are some of the elements that have influenced the healthcare system’s reaction to HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Ondo State’s Federal Medical Centre Owo is representative of Nigeria’s healthcare system as a whole when it comes to HIV/AIDS treatment. Its mission, like that of many other Nigerian healthcare facilities, is to provide high-quality treatment while removing any potential ideological or personal obstacles that may exist among its staff.

Cultural and societal views on HIV/AIDS are foundational to the stigmatisation of the illness in Nigerian culture. A lot of people discriminate against individuals who suffer from it because they think it’s a result of moral failure or a punishment from on high. There is a risk that healthcare providers’ attitudes and practices may be impacted by this pervasive social stigma. Healthcare providers, despite their education and experience, are nevertheless susceptible to the cultural and societal norms that govern how their communities see HIV/AIDS.

Antiretroviral treatment (ART) has changed the medical management of HIV dramatically over the last few decades, turning HIV from a deadly diagnosis into a controllable chronic illness. The capacity of healthcare providers to provide high-quality treatment in a welcoming, inclusive setting is crucial to the effectiveness of these medical treatments. Trust, treatment adherence, and health outcomes are all profoundly affected by the attitudes of healthcare staff.

Healthcare personnel have an additional layer of complication while providing care due to the danger of workplace exposure to HIV. Even when post-exposure prophylaxis and conventional measures are available, healthcare personnel’ attitudes and actions might still be influenced by fear of infection. A professional’s duty to treat all patients fairly and to the best of their ability, regardless of their HIV status, must be considered alongside this dread.

To combat the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and to improve healthcare, the Nigerian government has launched a number of initiatives. Healthcare providers should be familiar with them, as well as the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework. Nevertheless, healthcare professionals’ readiness to adopt non-discriminatory policies and their execution at the facility level are crucial factors determining the efficacy of these interventions.

It is critical to understand healthcare staff’ attitudes and actions regarding HIV-positive patients for several reasons. To begin with, it aids in identifying potential intervention areas and gaps in professional training. Additionally, it sheds light on the challenges that could hinder the provision of efficient HIV/AIDS care. Lastly, it may help with the creation of specific treatments to enhance the care that PLWHA get.

1.2 Problem Statement

There are major obstacles associated with healthcare providers’ attitudes and behaviours that make it difficult to provide treatment to people in Nigeria who test positive for HIV. Discrimination and stigmatisation against HIV-positive individuals still exist in healthcare settings, which might lower the quality of care they get, even if HIV treatment and knowledge have improved.

Healthcare professionals’ attitudes towards HIV-positive patients at the Federal Medical Centre Owo, and in Nigeria more generally, may be impacted by variables such as fear of workplace exposure, lack of information about HIV transmission, and social stigma. Delays or denials of treatment, overprotective measures, and a failure to communicate with patients are all ways in which these attitudes might show themselves.

Discriminatory procedures and unfavourable attitudes have consequences beyond the scope of the current medical appointment. Poor health outcomes and an increased risk of HIV transmission in the community may occur when people living with HIV encounter or perceive prejudice from healthcare providers. This might cause them to postpone or avoid obtaining critical medical treatment. It is essential for optimal disease care and prevention that individuals reveal their HIV status; yet, such events might impact their mental health.

To make matters worse, there is a dearth of information about how healthcare providers in Nigeria perceive and deal with patients who test positive for HIV. Effective interventions to combat discriminatory attitudes and behaviours cannot be designed or implemented without such knowledge. Negative attitudes among healthcare personnel may also be fuelled by weak or nonexistent institutional policies that aim to eliminate prejudice.

To successfully address these problems, a deeper understanding of the link between healthcare personnel’ attitudes towards HIV-positive patients, their personal experiences, and their professional position is necessary. Improving the quality of care for HIV-positive patients and creating a more supportive hospital environment may be achieved via focused interventions, which need this knowledge.

1.3 Aim of the Study

The aim of this study is to assess the attitudes and practices of healthcare workers towards HIV-positive patients at the Federal Medical Centre Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria.

1.4 Specific Objectives

1. To evaluate the attitudes of healthcare workers towards HIV-positive patients at Federal Medical Centre Owo.
2. To assess the current practices of healthcare workers in providing care to HIV-positive patients at Federal Medical Centre Owo.
3. To identify factors influencing healthcare workers’ attitudes and practices towards HIV-positive patients.

1.5 Research Questions

1. What are the attitudes of healthcare workers towards HIV-positive patients at Federal Medical Centre Owo?
2. What are the current practices of healthcare workers in providing care to HIV-positive patients?
3. What factors influence healthcare workers’ attitudes and practices towards HIV-positive patients?