Infecção por virus da imunodeficiência humana em Cabinda, Angola
: conhecimento, atitudes e percepção de risco dos profissionais de saúde

  • Maria Sandra da Piedade Malonda Goma Teixeira (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

More than half of new infections provoked worldwide by HIV occur in the sub-Saharan African region, where Cabinda (a northern province in Angola) is located. In this part of the country, the HIV infection is considered, by many, a myth (originated in misbelief) as well as a factor of exclusion and social discrimination. The lack of effective medicines to treat this kind of infection reinforces the importance of control measures to provide for prevention. These measures aim essentially at decreasing the transmission of HIV infection and they are based on changing behaviour and attitudes. The ‘WHO’, since 1992, has been insisting on the promotion of educational measures, seeking to alter or wipe out risky behaviours. According to this organization, these are basic procedures in order to ensure the control of prevention and dissemination of an aids pandemic being therefore essential to know and understand the factors associated to this problem. The purpose of the present study is to contribute for the reflection upon the health care given to HIV patients in the town of Cabinda, being its main objective to get to know the professionals’ knowledge, attitudes and risk awareness in relation to HIV. This study is mainly descriptive and exploratory, based on data taken from 225 health professionals (doctors, nurses together with diagnosis and therapist technicians), linked to seven hospitals and institutions from Cabinda, accustomed to work with patients with HIV. Gender, age, ethnical origin, cultural rules, socio-cultural and cultural status were the chosen social variables. Besides the documental analysis, the data were collected using a survey of characterization and analysis with a scale of attitudes, with open questions to portray aspects related to the perception of risks acknowledged by professionals, about HIV. The analysis was made by means of SPSS (Statistical Program for Social Sciences) software, version 13.0, attached to Windows. Question dealing was conducted through content analysis. The results suggest that age, professional experience, academic degree, the type of health institution where one works, and the fact of taking or not part in training sessions such as lectures, meetings, seminars and sessions for health education, interfere with knowledge, attitude and awareness of risk for the health professionals inquired. There is insufficient information about this theme, being that press and television are some of the few available means. There is thus urgent need for political power to provide for technicians to improve their formation and their skills on HIV/AIDS infection, so that they can cope with the countless daily challenges and situations. In general, the results could contribute for the establishment of prevention strategies and for the development of policies that promote health care in communities.
Date of Award2010
Original languagePortuguese
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorEmília Valadas (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • HIV
  • Health professionals
  • Knowledge
  • Attitudes
  • Perception/awareness
  • Risk
  • Health care
  • Angola
  • Cabinda

Designation

  • Mestrado em Infecção VIH/SIDA

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