Assessment of Knowledge and Complaince with Infection Prevention and Control Measures among Health Care Workers in the Lassa Fever Treatment Centre at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi.A Cross-sectional Study.
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Abstract
Background: Lassa fever is a highly endemic viral haemorrhagic disease in Nigeria, posing signiicant occupational risks to
healthcare workers (HCWs). Despite established infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines, nosocomial transmission
persists. This study assessed the knowledge, compliance, and resource availability for IPC among HCWs at the Lassa Fever
Treatment Centre of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, and examined factors associated
with compliance.
Methods: A cross‑sectional study was conducted among 40 HCWs (doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, and support staff )
directly involved in patient care, selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using a pre‑tested, semi‑structured
questionnaire and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. Descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi‑square tests) were
performed, with a criterion mean of 2.5 used to assess knowledge and practice.
Results: The response rate was 90.9%. Most respondents were male (55.0%), aged 20–35 years (45.0%), and held a irst
degree (55.0%). Overall IPC knowledge was adequate (grand mean = 3.0), although gaps were observed in knowledge of correct
personal protective equipment (PPE) use (mean = 2.3). Compliance was moderate (grand mean = 2.9), with good adherence to
hand hygiene (mean = 3.3) and isolation protocols (mean = 3.2), but notable deiciencies in consistent PPE use (mean = 2.4) and
reporting of accidental exposures (mean = 2.3). IPC resources were generally available (grand mean = 3.0), except for inadequate
and non‑functional handwashing facilities (mean = 2.4). Years of work experience were signiicantly associated with compliance
(p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Healthcare workers at the ATBUTH Lassa Fever Treatment Centre demonstrate adequate IPC knowledge; however,
this does not consistently translate into optimal compliance. Identiied gaps in PPE use and hand hygiene infrastructure increase
occupational risk. Targeted interventions, including practical training, routine supervision, and infrastructural improvements,
are required to strengthen IPC practices and enhance healthcare worker safety.
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References
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