Knowledge of Diabetes mellitus-HIV Co-Infection Among Health Care Workers in Primary and Secondary Health Facilities in Osun State, South West Nigeria

Abstract

Advent of drug combinations in Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has been a major achievement in the management of HIV/AIDS. However, some of the drugs involved e.g. protease inhibitors have as side effects metabolic disorders like diabetes mellitus DM and dyslipidemia due to affectation of the pancreas and other organs.
A cross-sectional study to determine the knowledge of health care workers on DM, HIV and how some of the drugs used in treating HIV infection secondarily cause metabolic disease like DM. Self-administered, pre-tested questionnaires were distributed to 279 health workers from the primary and secondary health care facilities in Osun state attending state wide workshops on GDM organised by Strategy for Improving Diabetes Care in Nigeria (SIDCAIN) team.
Two thirds (66.2%) of the respondents had good knowledge on DM, while about three quarters (76.3%) had good knowledge on HIV. Only about a third (32.4%) of all respondents had good knowledge on effects of drugs management of HIV on DM.
Health care providers have poor knowledge of HAART induced DM. Regular update workshops are therefore recommended for such awareness.