Scarcity of healthcare worker protection in eight low- and middle-income countries: surgery and the risk of HIV and other bloodborne pathogens. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • OBJECTIVE: In view of the substantial incidence of bloodborne diseases and risk to surgical healthcare workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), we evaluated the availability of eye protection, aprons, sterile gloves, sterilizers and suction pumps. METHODS: Review of studies using the WHO Tool for the Situational Analysis of Access to Emergency and Essential Surgical Care. RESULTS: Eight papers documented data from 164 hospitals: Afghanistan (17), Gambia (18), Ghana (17), Liberia (16), Mongolia (44), Sierra Leone (12), Solomon Islands (9) and Sri Lanka (31). No country had a 100% supply of any item. Eye protection was available in only one hospital in Sri Lanka (4%) and most abundant in Liberia (56%). The availability of sterile gloves ranged from 24% in Afghanistan to 94% in Ghana. CONCLUSION: Substantial deficiencies of basic protective supplies exist in low- and middle-income countries.

publication date

  • October 31, 2011

Research

keywords

  • General Surgery
  • HIV Infections
  • Infections
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
  • Occupational Exposure
  • Protective Devices
  • Safety Management

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 84857373162

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02909.x

PubMed ID

  • 22035344

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 17

issue

  • 3