Abstract:
HIV/AIDS continues to be one of the prominent killer disease despite the fact that
attempts are still going on to find a definitive cure for the condition. Sub Saharan
Africa has the highest numbers of patients, including Tanzania (UNAIDS, 1998).
Care of these patients, lies on the health workers, as well as family members, when
providing symptomatic treatment and support. Health workers also take care of
people infected with the disease, but who may not have attained-the full-blown
disease, such patients are only detected by blood tests. The lack of cure, combined
with the fact that the disease can be transmitted in workplace situations, is a major
fact that results in changing the way of handling patients in this era of AIDS
pandemic, directly affecting patient care. IDV/AIDS related knowledge, attitude and
practice of health workers towards pregnant women in the labour wards in Magu
district was done in the context of such situation. The studied population was health
workers in the labour wards, delivering patients, chosen because in the labour wards,
these workers encounter more blood and body fluids, which are a potential source of
the virus if, infected. In-depth interviews to the in-charges were administered as well
as observations and patients' interviews. The results show that health workers are
knowledgeable (92.3%) on the modes ofHIV transmission, but this is not associated
to the resultant attitude. However most workers (60.2%) had positive attitude to the
pregnant women in the labour wards. The workers had high risk-perception (91.2%)
as well as fear (73.6%) especially when they did not have protective equipment.
Availability and use of protective gear was also found to be inadequate in the labour
wards, when delivering pregnant women. It can be seen that training of health
workers on the workplace precautions still n
