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Apr 19, 2023Article Details
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Willingness to work as frontline Health care providers during COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
Abstract
Background: Health care workers are at the forefront of COVID-19 outbreak responses. As the pressure on the global health care workforce intensifies, there is a need to mobilize relevant health care workers to the frontline of prevention and control activities. This study assessed the willingness of health care workers to participate as frontline care providers during COVID-19 prevention and control in South-western Nigeria.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 709 healthcare providers serially recruited through an online survey. Research instrument was a semi structured pretested, selfadministered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software version 24.0.
Results: Fifty-four percent opined that Nigeria presently lacks human resource capacity to manage the ongoing pandemic. While 64.9% were willing to work as frontline health care provider in COVID19 control, about 81.5% of the respondents would work on some conditions, and 76.0% would work voluntarily. About 19.7% stated that they were not at risk of contracting COVID-19. Barriers to volunteering included “lack of confidence in Government/employer caring for the health worker if infected” (97%). Significant predictors of willingness to work as front line health care workers include being a male (OR 3.8), spending less than 10 years in practice (OR 2.75), availability of PPEs (OR 3.57); payment of special allowance (OR 1.56); increment of hazard allowance (OR 2.29); and prior training on IPC (OR 2.85).
Conclusion: Governments and other stakeholders need to remove listed barriers and encourage motivators to work as frontline health care workers to facilitate COVID-19 control in Nigeria.
