Knowledge and practice of health workers of HIV/TB at Diagnostic Counseling and Testing (DCT) sites

ABSTRACT

Background: The HIV/TB pandemic is a serious danger for humans. In Vietnam, many NGOs recommended that the supply of DCT services for TB patients is essential in HIV/TB prevention. Assessing knowledge and practice of HIV/AIDS preventive tasks for health workers in a context that tuberculosis combined with AIDS is rising, is imperative. Objectives: (1) To describe the knowledge and practice of health workers about the DCT model on HIV/TB patients. (2) To evaluate the knowledge and practice of HIV prevention of occupational exposure at DCT sites in Ha Noi. Subjects and method: A cross - sectional study carried out on all 30 health workers who provided HIV/ TB at 10 DCT sites of TB units in Ha Noi. Results and conclusions: The percentage of health workers, that had full knowledge about DCT methodology was low (<50%), and about all 3 groups of knowledge was very low (21.4%). 82.5% - 100% of health staffs had implemented completely the process of HIV/TB at DCT sites but not very skillfully. All of them paid attention to general prevention and standard preventive methodology, but their practices were not synchronous and correct. Less than 50% of the health workers had full knowledge about the assessment of exposure risk and treatment after exposure.