Needlestick and Sharp Injuries Prevalence and Hepatitis B Vaccination Among Healthcare Workers: A cross sectional study in Six District Hospitals (Yaounde, Cameroon)

IntroductionAccidental exposure to blood and body fluids (AEB) in the workplace account for 40 % of contamination by hepatis B virus (HBV) and 2 - 3 % by HIV among healthcare workers (HCW). Developing countries are most affected. The present study sought to determine the prevalence of percutaneous injury and hepatitis B vaccination coverage among HCW. MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out from January to April 2022 in six district hospitals in Yaounde using a self - administered questionnaire. Out of the 279 HCW who were solicited, 217 returned completed questionnaires. ResultsMore than half of HCW reported an AEB in the last 12 months (53,9 %). The prevalence of AEB varied among hospitals with the Nkolndongo DH reporting the highest prevalence (51.6 %). Healthcare workers were unvaccinated (53 %) or partially vaccinated against HBV (13,2 %); only one third were fully vaccinated (33,9 %). The lowest compliance with vaccination was observed among hygiene personnel (90 %). The high cost of the vaccine was the main reported reason for non - compliance (39 %). ConclusionThere is an urgent need to set up a monitoring system for the implementation of infection control and prevention in District Hospitals in Cameroon in order to raise awareness of AEB burden among healthcare workers and improve accessibility to HBV vaccine.