Hepatitis B vaccination coverage and the determinants of vaccination among health care workers in selected health facilities in Lusaka district, Zambia: An exploratory study

Joint Event on 45^th World Congress on Nursing Care & 8^th European Breast Congress

December 11-13, 2017 | Rome, Italy

Namwaka Mungandi

Zambia Emory HIV Research Group, Zambia

ScientificTracks Abstracts: J Nurs Res Pract

Abstract :

Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver that causes both acute and chronic disease. It is an occupational hazard for health care workers (HCWs) and can be prevented by the administration of a vaccine.The Centre for Disease Control recommends that HCWs must be vaccinated against vaccine preventable diseases including hepatitis B. In Zambia, the Ministry of Health acknowledges that this policy exists but is not implemented to its full potential. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and determinants of hepatitis B vaccination among HCWs in selected health facilities in Lusaka. This was an exploratory study that included 331 HCWs from seven health facilities across Lusaka district. The study consisted of nurses, doctors, laboratory personnel and general workers. Data was collected through self-administered structured questionnaires. The dependent variable was vaccination status and the independent variables were; age, sex, sharp injuries/ year, work experience, knowledge in hepatitis B, profession, training in infection control, sector and facility level. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the best predictors for hepatitis B vaccination among HCWs. 19.3% of the HCWs were vaccinated against hepatitis B, with 54.7% being fully vaccinated and 45.3% being partially vaccinated. The analysis showed that; age, sharp injuries/year and training in infection control were the best predictors for hepatitis B vaccination. To increase the number of HCWs vaccinated against hepatitis B, health institutions should bear the cost for vaccinating their staff and efforts should be made to impart appropriate health education regarding hepatitis B infection and its prevention.

Biography :

Namwaka Mungandi completed her Master of Science in Epidemiology degree from the University of Zambia early 2017. She is currently Global Health Corps Fellow working at Zambia Emory HIV Research Group as a Laboratory Services Coordinator. She recently published her Master of Science thesis in Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal, and is currently working on a study looking at contraception uptake in high risk women to HIV acquisiton in Zambia.