Integrated management of HIV/NCDs: knowledge, attitudes, and practices of health care workers in Gaborone, Botswana

African Health Sciences
Tiny MasupeHeluf Medhin

Abstract

The epidemiologic transition and double disease burden from chronic infections and Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide requires re-engineering of healthcare delivery systems. Healthcare workers (HCWs) need to adapt to new integrated disease management approaches and change from current disease-specific management. The study aimed to determine HCWs knowledge, capacity and skills for management of NCDs among HIV patients and their attitudes towards integrated HIV/NCDs disease management approaches for future clinical practice. Descriptive cross-sectional survey among HCWs attending to HIV patients at selected government facilities. One hundred out of 105 responses were analysed. Only 6% could fully define NCDs. Awareness levels of NCDs were high: Diabetes and hypertension 98%; cancer 96%; cardiovascular diseases 86%. However, 11.8% and 58% classified HIV and malaria respectively as NCDs. Most respondents (88%) believe that integrating HIV/NCDs care would be good use of resources while 62% disagreed with current separate facility management of HIV patients with NCDs. Over 60% routinely screened HIV patients for NCDs risk factors: Smoking (87.2%), alcohol (90.8%), diet (84.9%) and physical activity (73.5%). There were gaps i...Continue Reading

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