Background: Millions of lives around the world are being saved annually through blood transfusion. However, blood transfusion is among the essential vehicles for transmitting infections. The overall prevalence of Transfusion Transmissible Infections among blood donors differs around the world, reflecting the variation in the prevalence of these infections. This study aims to assess the prevalence and trends of Transfusion Transmissible Infections among blood donors in Qatar. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study utilizing donation records of 5 years from January 2013 to December 2017. We included in the study results for all screening and confirmatory tests for Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, Human T-lymphotropic Virus-I/II, Syphilis and Malaria. Results: Among the 190,509 donations received at the donation centre during the study period, about 91% of donations were received from males and 9% from females. The overall positivity rate for all tests was 1.87, 2.23, 1.78, 2.31, 2.67% for the years 2013 through 2017, with an increasing yearly trend by 6% each year.

ObjectiveThe current study aimed to assess the awareness of colorectal cancer (CRC) symptoms and risk factors among the at-risk population visiting the primary healthcare (PHC) centres in Qatar. The secondary objective was to assess the differences in awareness among population subgroups.DesignA cross-sectional study design was employed.SettingThe study was conducted across six PHC centres in Qatar.ParticipantsPatients, or their accompanying people, aged 50–74 years and Arabic or English speakers, were recruited from the main waiting areas of the selected PHC centres.Data collection and analysisParticipants were interviewed using the validated Bowel/Colorectal Cancer Awareness Measure questionnaire. A non-probability convenient sampling technique was applied to recruit participants. Descriptive and analytic statistics were used when appropriate. A multivariate linear regression model was constructed to identify the independent predictors of CRC awareness.ResultsThe study includes 448 participants (response rate=87%). The mean age of the participants was 58.48 years (SD ±6.37). The mean awareness score among the participants was 3.63/9 (SD ±2.7) for CRC symptoms and 5.43/11 (SD ±3.3) for CRC risk factors. The overall mean awareness score was 9.03/20 (SD ±5.5). Multivariate linear regression identified the female gender (2.52 (95% CI 1.15 to 3.88)), non-Qatari Arab (2.91 (95% CI 1.64 to 4.18)) or non-Arab nationalities (1.76 (95% CI 0.28 to 3.24)), and tertiary education (4.10 (95% CI 2.55 to 5.66)) as independent predictors of higher CRC awareness.ConclusionIn general, the awareness of CRC symptoms and risk factors was low among the at-risk population in Qatar. Specifically, the regression analysis showed men, Qataris, and those with no formal education had low awareness of CRC symptoms and risk factors. Such results emphasise the importance of tailoring future educational campaigns that are relevant, specific and appealing to such cohort.

Aim To assess health care workers’ compliance with infection prevention and control measures in different health care sectors in Qatar during COVID‐19 pandemic. Background Being the first line of defense against COVID‐19 infection, health care workers are particularly at increased risk of getting infected. Compliance with infection prevention and control measures is essential for their safety and the safety of patients. Methods A web‐based national survey was conducted between November 2020 and January 2021 targeting all health care workers in governmental, semi‐governmental, and private health care sectors. Results Of 1757 health care workers, 49.9% were between 30‐39 years of age, majority (47.5%) were nurses. Participants reported a significant increase in the median self‐rated compliance scores during the pandemic compared to before it ( p <0.001). During the pandemic, 49.7% of health care workers were fully compliant with personal protective equipment (PPE) use, 83.1% were fully compliant with hand hygiene. Overall, 44.1% were fully compliant with infection prevention and control measures (PPE and hand hygiene). Nationality, health sector, profession, and frequency of interactions with suspected or confirmed COVID‐19 cases were significantly associated with compliance with overall infection prevention and control measures. The most reported barriers were work overload, and shortages of PPE and handwashing agents. Conclusions Compliance of health care workers with infection prevention and control measures needs further improvement. Implications for Nursing Management Frequent quality checks, provision of adequate supplies, and behavior change interventions are recommended strategies for hospital and nursing administrators to improve health care workers’ compliance.