Health and safety of health workers in the Suame Municipality of Ghana - Lessons learnt from the COVID-19 outbreak in infection prevention and control for future pandemics

David Oppong Darko; Douglas Aninng Opoku; Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng; Aliyu Mohammed; Jennifer Ashilevi; Obed Kwabena Offe Amponsah; Ayongo Mate-Kole; Dora Egblewogbe; Bridgetta Addai Darko; Ebenezer Agyemang; Paul Okyere

doi:10.1177/20503121231225924

Health and safety of health workers in the Suame Municipality of Ghana - Lessons learnt from the COVID-19 outbreak in infection prevention and control for future pandemics

SAGE Open Med. 2024 Jan 23:12:20503121231225924. doi: 10.1177/20503121231225924. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Promotion and Disability Studies, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
² Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
³ Allen Clinic, Family Healthcare Services, Kumasi, Ghana.
⁴ Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
⁵ University Hospital, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
⁷ Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
⁸ Family Medicine Sub BMC, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
⁹ Department of Health Services Planning and Management, School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Abstract

Objectives: Effective adherence to infection prevention and control practices is needed to reduce the rate of healthcare-acquired infections among healthcare workers. Policies to control healthcare-acquired infections among healthcare workers can be designed and implemented using information on adherence to infection prevention and control practices adherence and its determinants. This study, therefore, sought to assess the adherence to infection prevention and control practices among healthcare workers during the 2019 Coronavirus disease pandemic.

Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted among 323 randomly selected healthcare workers in four health facilities in the Suame Municipality, Ghana. Data on participants' socio-demographics, knowledge of infection prevention and control practices and adherence to infection prevention and control practices were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effect of demographic characteristics and knowledge of infection prevention and control on adherence to infection prevention and control practices among study participants.

Results: Over three-quarters (75.9%) of the study participants had adequate knowledge of infection prevention and control practices with a significant knowledge gap in the colour coding of bin liners for waste segregation (35.6%). The proportion of study participants who reported good adherence to infection prevention and control practices was 86.7%. Healthcare workers who were 33 years and above (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.27; 95% Confidence interval (CI): 0.08-0.92) and absence of an infection prevention and control committee at the facility AOR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.08-0.73) had reduced odds of good adherence to infection prevention and control practices. Nursing staff (AOR: 9.49, 95% CI: 2.51-35.87) and having adequate knowledge of infection prevention and control practices (AOR: 2.66; 95% CI: 1.19-5.97) were associated with increased odds of good adherence to infection prevention and control practices.

Conclusion: Adherence to infection prevention and control practices was high among this sample of Ghanaian healthcare workers. Interventions and strategies to improve adherence should include the setting up of infection prevention and control committees, education and strict observance of colour coding of bin liners for waste segregation and intensification of training of healthcare workers in infection prevention and control practices.

Keywords: Adherence; COVID-19; Ghana; determinants; healthcare workers; infection prevention and control.