The evidence available suggests that many HCWs in Africa are at risk of Hepatitis B infection as only a quarter of them were fully vaccinated against Hepatitis B virus. This study highlights the need for all African governments to establish and implement hepatitis B vaccination policies for HCWs.
Background: Health-care workers (HCWs) are at risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens through contact with human blood and other body fluids. This study was conducted to estimate the global and regional one-year prevalence of percutaneous injuries (PCIs) among HCWs. Methods: We systematically searched EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL and PsychInfo databases for studies published from January 2008 to January 2018 that reported the prevalence of PCIs among HCWs. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate pooled prevalence of PCIs among HCWs. Results: Of the 5205 articles identified, 148 studies from 43 countries met the inclusion criteria. The pooled global one-year prevalence estimate of PCIs was 36.4% (95% CI: 32.9-40.0). There were substantial regional variations in the one-year prevalence of PCIs, ranging from 7.7% (95% CI: 3.1-12.4) in South America to 43.2% (95% CI: 38.3-48.0) in Asia. The estimates for Africa and Europe were comparable with values of 34.5% (95% CI: 29.9-39.1) and 31.8% (95% CI: 25.0-38.5), respectively. The highest one-year prevalence by job category was among surgeons at 72.6% (95% CI: 58.0-87.2). The estimates for medical doctors (excluding surgeons), nurses (including midwives) and laboratory staff (including laboratory technicians) were 44.5% (95% CI: 37.5-51.5), 40.9% (95% CI: 35.2-46.7) and 32.4% (95% CI: 20.9-49.3), respectively. PCIs commonly occurred among HCWs working in hospital (41.8%, 95% CI: 37.6-46.0) than non-hospital (7.5%, 95% CI: 5.9-9.1) settings. Conclusion: Our findings suggest high rates of PCIs among HCWs with direct patient care across many regions of the world. However, paucity of data from some countries was a major limitation.
Objectives: This research was carried out in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to assess cosmetic use and related adverse reactions among university students studying medicine and pharmacy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: A cross sectional study design was employed and data was collected by random stratified sampling technique. Data was collected and analyzed using SPSS version 20 and the chi square test was used to determine the associations between variables. Results: Findings indicated that majority (91%) of respondents were using cosmetic products at the time of the study. More than half of respondents (58.4%) admitted to have experienced at least one type of adverse reaction from using cosmetic products. The most commonly experienced adverse reactions were allergic reactions (30.8%) followed by burning sensation (18.5%) mostly from perfumes and face products. Moreover, there were associations (p<0.05) between use of cosmetic products and some demographic variables (gender and year of study) and there were also associations (p<0.05) between adverse reactions and gender. Findings again revealed that, 17.9% of the respondents use cosmetics for the purpose of skin protection, 17.9% s to boost attractiveness and improve beauty. Majority of respondents obtained awareness about the possible adverse effects of cosmetic products from friends and family (29.5%), the media (23.2%), internet (21.4%) and fellow students (17%). Respondents were also mostly aware of the adverse effects of the cosmetics but still used them. Conclusion: There is a high occurrence and knowledge of cosmetics use-related adverse reactions.
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