In 2002, the World Health Organization reported that 2.5% of HIV cases amongst healthcare professionals (HCPs) worldwide were the result of occupational exposure. Even when infection does not occur, incidents such as sharps injuries involving HIVinfected blood or body fluids can be significantly distressing for the HCPs involved. Occupational exposure to HIV is particularly concerning in the Middle East, where it is estimated that HCPs receive four needlestick injuries on average per year, but where reporting of sharps injuries is poor. Moazzam Ali Zaidi examined the beliefs and attitudes of HCPs in United Arab Emirates (UAE) compared to those of HCPs in New Zealand (NZ) regarding occupational exposure to HIV-infected blood in order to better understand the factors that might influence behaviour after such exposure. NZ was selected for comparison as it was a Western country of comparable size to UAE (population 4.4 million versus 8.2 million respectively), but with a more established clinical culture of reporting sharps injuries.
Last date updated on September, 2024