Burden and outcome of HIV infection and other morbidities in health care workers attending an Occupational Health Program at the Provincial Hospital of Tete, Mozambique.
Authors
Casas, Esther CarrilloDecroo, Tom
Mahoudo, Jules Aimé Bonou
Baltazar, Jesus Maria
Dores, Carla Das
Cumba, Luisa
De Weggheleire, Anja
Huyst, Veerle
Bottieau, Emmanuel
Affiliation
Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium Médecins Sans Frontières, Tete, Mozambique Provincial Hospital of Tete, Tete, Mozambique Provincial Health Directorate of Tete, Tete, Mozambique.Issue Date
2011-08-18
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Objectives To investigate the burden and outcome of HIV infection and other morbidities amongst a Mozambican hospital staff. Methods Within an occupational health service set up in April 2008 in the provincial hospital of Tete, Mozambique, we offered to all staff members an initial clinical, laboratory and radiological screening and followed them up prospectively until April 2010. Results A total of 47.5% of 423 health workers attended the program. The cohort (female-to-male ratio: 2.2; mean age: 39 years) consisted mostly of auxiliary staff (43%) and nurses (29.8%). At initial screening, 71% were asymptomatic. HIV infection (28.4%) and tuberculosis (TB) (21%) were the main reported antecedent illnesses. Laboratory screening revealed anaemia (haemoglobin level <10 mg/dl) in 9% participants, abnormal liver enzymes in 23.9% and a reactive non-treponemal syphilis test in 5%. Of 145 performed chest X-rays, 13% showed abnormalities. All 113 health workers not recently tested for HIV were screened, and 31 were newly diagnosed with HIV infection (resulting in an overall HIV prevalence of 43.8%). Nine cases of TB were diagnosed at screening/during follow-up. In April 2010, all but one of the participants were alive. All HIV-infected health workers under antiretroviral therapy were actively followed-up. Conclusion Serious conditions were frequently diagnosed in health workers, in particular HIV infection. Mid-term outcome was favourable within this program. Creation of screening and care services dedicated to caregivers should be of highest priority in similar African settings.PubMed ID
21848576Language
enISSN
1365-3156ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02853.x