Browsing by Author "Masika, Doreen"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Assessemnet of risk factors of Hepatisis B virus (HBV) infection among adults in selected Sub counties in Ngora District
    (International Health Sciences University., 2016-11) Masika, Doreen
    Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health challenge. Prevalence of current hepatitis B virus infection in the general population of Uganda is about 10%. Hepatitis B virus infection is one of the infectious diseases that are currently on the rise both in Uganda and the world at large, it is a viral disease caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV infection is of great public health concern because it’s highly infectious and if unattended to infects the liver causing hepatocellular necrosis and inflammation. This infection is specifically highly prevalent in north and eastern Uganda a reason to why this study was carried out in Ngora district which falls in one of these regions. The main objective of this study was to assess risk factors that are associated with HBV infection among adults in selected sub counties in Ngora district, the specific objectives were; to assess the individual, knowledge and health facility factors associated with HBV infection in the study population. Methodology: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional study design that employed qualitative methods to collect data from 281 adults aged 18-50 years in three selected sub counties of Kobwin, Mukura and Ngora town council of Ngora district. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 to determine frequencies and association of independent variables with risk of HBV infection. Results: The study findings revealed a self-reported HBV infection prevalence of 20.6% and identified four major risk factors that had direct association with HBV infection namely; knowledge that handling body fluids with bear hands can transmit HBV (OR 3.087, p 0.029), vaccination following a negative HBV test (OR 1.018), history of treatment for STI (OR 1.409), and cost of HBV services (OR 9.742 and p, 0.06). Conclusion: This study therefore assessed that it is majorly knowledge and health facility factors that predispose the adults in Ngora to HBV infection. Recommendation: The MOH should continue providing sustainable, free HBV screening and vaccination services to all adults alongside awareness campaign in Ngora district. The district health team should carry out Behavior change communication for prevention of HBV infection targeting individuals on issues such as protected sex, reduction of sexual partners and body fluid handling. Further studies should also be done to determine the most affected population in regards to gender, age and occupation; it’s of importance to note that biomedical studies about HBV are lacking in Uganda and need to be invested in.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Factors Affecting Biomedical Waste Management among Medical Laboratory Workers in Health Facilities:
    (International Health Sciences University., 2014-11) Masika, Doreen
    Background to the study: Unsafe disposal of health-care waste poses public health risks. WHO (2004) estimated that 2000 contaminated injection syringes caused 21 million hepatitis B infections and the latest 260,000 HIV infections (5% of all new infection). According to NEMA (2012), Uganda still has a big problem as regards to BMWM, which is very detrimental to the environment. There have been national efforts with support from, USAID‘s Strengthening Decentralization for Sustainability (SDS) Programme to improve BMWM in Uganda. However, there is still lack of information on what influences the management of laboratory BMW in the districts of Teso region. Objective of the study: To assess factors affecting BMWM among laboratory health workers in health facility laboratories in Eastern Uganda in the districts of Kumi, Soroti, Serere, Amuria, Ngora and Bukedea. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. The target populations were laboratory health workers in Eastern Ugandan districts of Kumi, Soroti, Serere, Amuria, Ngora and Bukedea.The data was collected through use of researcher administered questionnaires, observations and key informants interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software version 16 while qualitative data were manually ummarized. Graphs, charts and tables were used in the presentation of results. Key findings: Out of the 160 laboratory health workers interviewed, only 58.1% were able to correctly define BMWM.The study found a statistically significant relationship between biomedical waste management and individual factors of age (P= 0.001), sex (P= 0.044) and duration in service (P= 0.000). Only 36.2% of the respondents were able to correctly identify methods of managing biomedical waste.Up to 78.8% had never had any training in biomedical waste management, yet a majority (95.6%) of them were willing to take up training opportunity on BMWM. Further, 87.5% of those who correctly identified methods of biomedical waste management also had protective gadgets. Having protective gadgets was the single most important institutional factor influencing biomedical waste management (X 2 =9.659, P=0.002). Conclusions and Recommendations: The laboratory health worker‘s age, sex, duration of service and time (years) spent at the current health facility had a significant influence on their biomedical waste management practices. Knowing the definition of BMWM and the correct identification of BMW in the laboratory by the laboratory health workers were additional significant influencers of their BMWM practices. The agreeing that BMWM was important, lack of training in BMWM and having protective gadgets were also significant influencers of BMWM by the laboratory workers in this region. There is therefore, need to invest on training of laboratory health workers to improve their level of knowledge on BMWM, motivate the staff to stay longer at their places of work and to have continuous supply of protective gadgets.