ABSTRACT
"Background: With the worldwide spread of HIV/AIDS; the absence of a known cure and the challenges associated with existing prevention methodologies; there is need for new prevention technologies. The successful uptake of healthcare products and services depend; to a large extent; on healthcare providers' knowledge; perception and attitude regarding them. Objectives: To determine the knowledge and perception of healthcare providers regarding microbicides. Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was administered on 400 randomly selected health care providers in Calabar; Cross River State of Nigeria. Data obtained from the 350 returned questionnaire were analyzed using EPI -Info software version 3.5.1 Results: One hundred and sixty-four (46.9) respondents were medical doctors while 157 (44.9) were nurses; 7 (2) were Pharmacists and 22 (6.2) belonged to ""other"" categories. Thirty- two percent knew the advantages of microbicides over condoms. Sixty-eight percent indicated that microbicides would benefit only women while to 27; it would benefit both men and women. Seventy-five percent of respondents would be willing to act as community advocates for microbicides while 21 would not be willing and 4 were not decided. There was a statistically significant association between professional group and willingness to act as community advocates for microbicides. Medical doctors were more likely to act as advocates than other professional groups (p0.05). Female respondents were more likely to have correct knowledge regarding microbicides than males (p0.05) Conclusion: There are gaps in knowledge regarding microbicides among the health care providers. Capacity building would be successful since the majority are willing to act as community advocates."
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Background: Approximately half of the earth's population in the rural areas of developing countries uses energy obtained from biomass burning, which is harmful to people. Objectives: This study is aimed at determining which respiratory symptoms can be associated with biomass burning amongst fish smokers in the Oyorokoto fishing settlement. Method: A community-based, cross-sectional questionnaire, which employed a modified cluster sampling technique, was used. Results: A total of 300 subjects were recruited for the study, of which 210 (70%) were fish smokers. The mean age was 31.46 ± 13.03 years, with the majority (42.0%) having only primary school education. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms amongst the subjects was 86.7%, the most frequent of which were catarrh (30.48%) and a cough (28.57%). The respiratory symptom occurring least frequently was breathlessness (2.38%). The symptoms most often experienced during fish smoking were those of catarrh (75.5%) and sneezing (73.0%), whereas breathlessness occurred the least, in only 7 (3.3%) of the participants. Sneezing stopped in 64.2% of the subjects after fish smoking had ceased. Most of the fish smoking took place indoors. Conclusion: Health promotion featuring preventive interventions, such as the wearing of face-masks and the use of modern fish smoking methods, which is associated with fewer health risks, is essential to improving the quality of life of fish smokers. The government's provision of certain social services, including better education opportunities for the young, is advocated, and should be especially targeted at improving the lot of the girl child