OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk of occupationally acquired HIV infection among traditional birth attendants (TBA) in Rwanda, Africa. DESIGN AND METHODS: A serosurvey was conducted among 219 TBA practicing in a rural but densely populated area in southern Rwanda. Each TBA was interviewed about sociodemographic information, work-related habits and practices, and presence of nonoccupational risk factors for HIV infection. The frequency of skin exposure to HIV-infected blood was estimated for each TBA from HIV seroprevalence data collected previously from pregnant women stratified by the geographic zones in which the TBA practiced. RESULTS: Four TBA (1.8%) tested HIV-1-antibody-positive; all four had reported nonoccupational risk factors for HIV infection. We estimated that the 215 HIV-negative TBA had 2234 potentially infectious blood-skin contacts out of a total of approximately 35,000 deliveries assisted in the past 5 years. However, we found no evidence of HIV infection caused by occupational blood contact (none out of 2234; upper limit of the 95% confidence interval because of one potentially infectious blood-skin contact = 0.2%). CONCLUSION: Although these findings may not be universal to all TBA in Africa, the risk of occupationally acquired HIV infection among TBA appears small. The high frequency of blood-skin contact among TBA in Rwanda highlights the need to include infection control precautions in the training of TBA.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk of occupationally acquired HIV infection among traditional birth attendants (TBA) in Rwanda, Africa. DESIGN AND METHODS: A serosurvey was conducted among 219 TBA practicing in a rural but densely populated area in southern Rwanda. Each TBA was interviewed about sociodemographic information, work-related habits and practices, and presence of nonoccupational risk factors for HIV infection. The frequency of skin exposure to HIV-infected blood was estimated for each TBA from HIV seroprevalence data collected previously from pregnant women stratified by the geographic zones in which the TBA practiced. RESULTS: Four TBA (1.8%) tested HIV-1-antibody-positive; all four had reported nonoccupational risk factors for HIV infection. We estimated that the 215 HIV-negative TBA had 2234 potentially infectious blood-skin contacts out of a total of approximately 35,000 deliveries assisted in the past 5 years. However, we found no evidence of HIV infection caused by occupational blood contact (none out of 2234; upper limit of the 95% confidence interval because of one potentially infectious blood-skin contact = 0.2%). CONCLUSION: Although these findings may not be universal to all TBA in Africa, the risk of occupationally acquired HIV infection among TBA appears small. The high frequency of blood-skin contact among TBA in Rwanda highlights the need to include infection control precautions in the training of TBA.
Entities:
Keywords:
Africa; Africa South Of The Sahara; Biology; Delivery Of Health Care; Developing Countries; Diseases; Eastern Africa; Examinations And Diagnoses; French Speaking Africa; Health; Health Personnel; Hematologic Tests; Hiv Infections; Laboratory Examinations And Diagnoses; Laboratory Procedures; Midwives; Research Report; Risk Factors; Rwanda; Viral Diseases
Authors: Marc Bulterys; Mary Glenn Fowler; Nathan Shaffer; Pius M Tih; Alan E Greenberg; Etienne Karita; Hoosen Coovadia; Kevin M De Cock Journal: BMJ Date: 2002-01-26