Prevalence of Hepatitis C, its Risk Factors, and Role of Preventive Measures among Healthcare Providers working at Primary Healthcare Centers (RHCs and BHUs) in District Gujrat Pakistan

Amjad Ghafoor; Palwasha Noor; Iftikhar Khattak; Alina Zafar; Hifza Ishtiaq; Saqlain Ahmed

doi:10.70749/ijbr.v2i02.260

Authors

Amjad Ghafoor Department of Public Health, Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Palwasha Noor Department of Public Health, Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Iftikhar Khattak Department of Public Health, Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Alina Zafar Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Hospital - CMH, Muzaffarabad, AJK, Pakistan.
Hifza Ishtiaq Department of Accident and Emergency, Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences, Muzaffarabad, AJK, Pakistan.
Saqlain Ahmed Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Hospital - CMH, Muzaffarabad, AJK, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v2i02.260

Keywords:

Hepatitis C, Prevalence, Risk factors, Preventive Measures, Healthcare Providers

Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare providers (HCPs) have an elevated risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. HCV infection is an important threat to public health. According to WHO, it is anticipated that more than 3 % population in the world has an HCV infection. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a primary healthcare facility. A total of 168 HCPs from RHCs and BHUs from District Gujarat were included in the study. A random sampling technique was used to collect data. The information was collected using a structured questionnaire. Results: Among 168 HCPs, 86.3% knew about the prevention of HCV, 29.2% had a history of needle prick, and 8.3% had a history of blood transfusion. Most of the healthcare providers (92.3%) used gloves, 82.7% took preventive measures while handling HCV-positive patients, and 1.8% of HCPs were found positive for HCV. Insignificant results (P>0.5) were found regarding designation (p=0.494), duration of employment (P-value = 1.000), and preventive measures (P-value = 0.457). Conclusion: The study concluded that the prevalence of HCV infection was 1.8% among healthcare providers. HCV infection was prevalent among LHVs/midwives or lab technicians/sanitary inspectors.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ullah, N., Kakakhel, M. A., Bai, Y., Xi, L., Khan, I., Kalra, B. S., Kumar, T., Ahmad, H., Shah, M., Guanlan, L., & Zhang, C. (2023). Prevalence of active HCV infection and genotypic distribution among the general population of district Mardan, Pakistan. Brazilian Journal of Biology, 83. https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.244977

Haqqi, A., Munir, R., Khalid, M., Khurram, M., Zaid, M., Ali, M., Shah, Z. H., Ahmed, H., & Afzal, M. S. (2019). Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes in Pakistan: Current Scenario and Review of Literature. Viral Immunology, 32(9), 402–413. https://doi.org/10.1089/vim.2019.0058

Sharma, P., Satija, M., Chaudhary, A., Singh, S., Sharma, S., Girdhar, S., Gupta, V. K., & Bansal, P. (2022). Epidemiological correlates of hepatitis C infection- A case control analysis from a tertiary care hospital. J Fam Med Prim Care, 11(5), 2099–2099. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1965_21

Salari, N., Kazeminia, M., Hemati, N., Ammari-Allahyari, M., Mohammadi, M., & Shohaimi, S. (2022). Global prevalence of hepatitis C in general population: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 46, 102255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2022.102255

WHO. (2022). WHO publishes updated guidance on hepatitis C infection – with new recommendations on treatment of adolescents and children, simplified service delivery and diagnostics. Www.who.int. https://www.who.int/news/item/24-06-2022-WHO-publishes-updated-guidance-on-hepatitis-C-infection

Kassas, M., & Esmat, G. (2021). Eliminating hepatitis C from countries with high prevalence: When infrastructure comes first. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 154(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_1911_21

Altaf, A., & Pasha, S. K. (2020). Hepatitis C elimination in Pakistan is a distant dream unless government controls the health sector. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.47391/jpma.384

Ahsan, A., Khan, A. Z., Javed, H., Mirza, S., Chaudhary, S. U., & Shahzad-ul-Hussan, S. (2019). Estimation of hepatitis C prevalence in the Punjab province of Pakistan: A retrospective study on general population. PLOS ONE, 14(4), e0214435. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214435

Mahmud, S., Al Kanaani, Z., & Abu-Raddad, L. J. (2019). Characterization of the hepatitis C virus epidemic in Pakistan. BMC Infectious Diseases, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-019-4403-7

Anwar, W. A., El Gaafary, M., Girgis, S. A., Rafik, M., Hussein, W. M., Sos, D., Mossad, I. M., Fontanet, A., & Temime, L. (2021). Hepatitis C virus infection and risk factors among patients and health-care workers of Ain Shams University hospitals, Cairo, Egypt. PLOS ONE, 16(2), e0246836. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246836

Aydın, Ö., Ergen, P., & Çaşkurlu, H. (2020). An Evaluation of Health Personnel Exposed to Occupational Injuries in Terms of HBV, HCV, and HIV Infections. Viral Hepatitis Journal, 26(3), 158–162. https://doi.org/10.4274/vhd.galenos.2020.2020.0024

Kacem, M., Dhouib, W., Bennasrallah, C., Zemni, I., Abroug, H., Ben Fredj, M., Guedich, A., Safer, L., Ben Alaya, N., Mastouri, M., Bouanene, I., & Sriha Belguith, A. (2022). Occupational exposure to hepatitis C virus infection and associated factors among healthcare workers in Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, Tunisia. PLOS ONE, 17(9), e0274609. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274609

Parsons, G. (2022). Hepatitis C: epidemiology, transmission and presentation. Prescriber, 33(6), 20–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/psb.1992

Coppola, N., Alessio, L., Onorato, L., Sagnelli, C., Macera, M., Sagnelli, E., & Pisaturo, M. (2019). Epidemiology and management of hepatitis C virus infections in immigrant populations. Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-019-0528-6

Axley, P., Ahmed, Z., Ravi, S., & Singal, A. K. (2017). Hepatitis C Virus and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Narrative Review. Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology, 6(2), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.14218/jcth.2017.00067

Saleem, U., Aslam, N., Siddique, R., Iqbal, S., & Manan, M. (2022). Hepatitis C virus: Its prevalence, risk factors and genotype distribution in Pakistan. European Journal of Inflammation, 20, 1721727X2211443. https://doi.org/10.1177/1721727x221144391

Chen, S., Wang, H., Dzakah, E. E., Rashid, F., Wang, J., & Tang, S. (2022). The Second Human Pegivirus, a Non-Pathogenic RNA Virus with Low Prevalence and Minimal Genetic Diversity. Viruses, 14(9), 1844. https://doi.org/10.3390/v14091844

Mehmood, S., Raza, H., Abid, F., Saeed, N., Rehman, H. M., Javed, S., & Khan, M. S. (2019). National prevalence rate of hepatitis B and C in Pakistan and its risk factors. Journal of Public Health, 28(6), 751–764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-019-01081-5

Uzair, M., Khalid, U., Shahbaz, M., Khan, N., Ali, N., Sher, F., Rehman Mufti, Z. ur, Yaseen, K., Ahmad, I., & Muhammad, N. (2021). Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Healthcare Providers Regarding Infection Control at Tertiary Care Hospital. Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 15(11), 3492–3495. https://doi.org/10.53350/pjmhs2115113492

Coppola, N. (2016). Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection in healthcare workers. World Journal of Hepatology, 8(5), 273. https://doi.org/10.4254/wjh.v8.i5.273

Hughes, H. Y., & Henderson, D. K. (2016). Postexposure prophylaxis after hepatitis C occupational exposure in the interferon-free era. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases, 29(4), 373–380. https://doi.org/10.1097/qco.0000000000000281

Abdelrheem, S., Saleh, Y., Abdelatif, H.-A., & Elbadry, M. (2020). Hepatitis C Infection among Health Care Workers in Aswan: Seroprevalence and Risk Factors. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 50(1), 58–64. https://doi.org/10.21608/jhiph.2020.86154

Yehia, Helmy, M., Shawki, M., Moheb, M., & Elshaer, M. (2018). Hepatitis-C Virus Infection and Exposure to Blood and Body Fluids among Nurses and Paramedical Personnel at the Alexandria University Hospitals, Egypt. Alexandria Journal of Medicine/Alexandria Journal of Medicine , 54(3), 265–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajme.2017.06.005

Zafar, U., Hassan, A., Aslam, B., Khalid, Z., Baig, M. U., & Akram, S. (2018). The Frequency of Hepatitis C and its Risk Factors Among Health Care Providers at Tehsil Headquarter Hospital, Hasilpur, Pakistan. Cureus, 10(8). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.3176

Elneblawy, N., Shebl, A., Hassanen, A., & Shiha, G. (2015). ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS’ KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE TOWARD CARING OF PATIENTS WITH HEPATITIS C. Mansoura Nursing Journal, 2(2), 45–57. https://doi.org/10.21608/mnj.2015.149118

Ali, H., qayed, M., khalek, E. A., & Soliman, A. (2022). Hepatitis C Infection among Health Care Workers Screened by OraQuick Test in Asyut Governorate. The Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.21608/ejcm.2021.86749.1184