Abstract

DISCRIMINATORY ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES BY HEALTH WORKERS TOWARDS PATIENTS WITH HIV/AIDS PATIENTS, KHARTOUM STATE HOSPITALS –NORTH SUDAN

*Dr. Howeida Hassan Abusalih and Dr. Nawal Mustafa Osman

ABSTRACT

The global Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDs) epidemic is one of the greatest challenges facing our generation. Sudan is the most affected country in the Middle East and North Africa region. Stigma is not new to public health, nor is it unique to HIV/Aids. Stigma remains barrier to testing even where treatment is available in health services where people at risk of infection or living with HIV/Aids seek and expects care and attention, stigma and discrimination have been common. Discriminatory act vary from inappropriate comments to treatment and basic care denial The Objectives of the study is to assess attitudes and practices by heath workers towards patients with HIV/Aids in Khartoum state hospitals. Methodology: Descriptive cross-sectional hospital based study was conducted to assess the attitude and practices of health worker in the hospital towards HIV/Aids patients. The heath worker (doctors, dentists. Sisters, nurses, midwifes lab technicians) total of 465 were randomly selected through stratified systematic random sampling from 28 hospitals. Results: 95.8% agreed that staff and health worker should be informed when a patient is HIV-positive so that they can protect themselves more than 50% believed that professionals with HIV/aids should not allowed to work in an area of health care that requires patient close contact. More than 9% agreed that many with HIV/aids behaved immorally and deserve the disease. Basic materials needed for HIV were not equally available. Conclusion: Professionals in the state hospitals were engaged in discriminatory attitudes and behavior towards patients with HIV/Aids and this includes denial of care, breach of confidentiality and testing for HIV without informed consent. The study identifies four factors that may contribute to this behavior (1) lack of correct information and education about HIV/Aids prevention of infection (2) Lack of protective materials needed for the practice of universal precautions (3) Lack of materials needed to care for and to treat patients with HIV/AIDS (4)Prevailing attitudes about patients living with Aids (PLWA).

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