OBEHI OKOJIE

Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the principal causative agent of cervical cancer, which remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in Nigeria. Despite the availability of effective HPV vaccines, uptake among eligible girls remains unacceptably low, partly due to poor knowledge, negative attitudes, and low acceptance among mothers who serve as primary decision-makers for childhood immunization. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of HPV vaccination among mothers in Egor Local Government Area, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 mothers in Egor LGA, selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a pretested, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of HPV and its vaccine, attitude towards HPV vaccination, acceptance of the HPV vaccine, and factors influencing acceptance. Knowledge and attitude scores were categorised as good (≥70%) or poor (<70%). Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 27.0. Descriptive statistics, chi- square tests, and logistic regression were used as appropriate.
Results: The mean age of respondents was 37.41 ± 10.10 years, and the majority (43.2%) were in the 30–39 years age group. Most respondents (51.9%) had tertiary education, and 84.4% belonged to the middle socioeconomic class. Overall, 70.8% of respondents had previously heard of HPV, with hospitals and health centres being the most common source of information (52.0%). Only 53.0% of respondents demonstrated good knowledge of HPV and its vaccine, while 81.0% had a positive attitude and 81.0% accepted or were willing to vaccinate their daughters. On multivariable logistic regression, independent predictors of good knowledge were older age (OR = 1.030, 95% CI: 1.010–1.051, p = 0.004) and higher educational attainment (p < 0.001). xvi Independent predictors of positive attitude were good knowledge (OR = 5.053, 95% CI: 2.807– 9.098, p < 0.001) and being ever-married (OR = 4.349, 95% CI: 1.368–13.824, p = 0.013). Positive attitude was the sole independent predictor of acceptance of HPV vaccination (OR = 5.003, 95% CI: 2.746–9.114, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Despite poor knowledge among the majority of respondents, attitudes towards and acceptance of HPV vaccination were high. Targeted health education programmes addressing the knowledge gap are essential to sustaining and translating positive attitudes into improved HPV vaccine uptake among eligible girls in Egor LGA and similar urban communities in Nigeria.

Background: Standard precautions are essential infection prevention and control measures used to reduce healthcare associated infections and occupational exposure among healthcare workers. Inadequate compliance with standard precautions remains a major public health concern in many healthcare facilities, particularly in resource‑limited settings. Aim: This study assessed and compared adherence to standard precautions among healthcare workers in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and identified determinants influencing compliance. Methods: A descriptive cross‑sectional study was conducted among 370 healthcare workers (doctors and nurses) in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Data was collected using a structured self‑administered questionnaire. Knowledge and Adherence was assessed using standardized questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 27. Descriptive statistics, chi‑square tests and logistic regression analysis were used for analysis. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The mean age of respondents was 35.10 +/- 8.03 for doctors - who constituted 53.8% of the total population and 36.18 +/- 11.01 for nurses. The majority of respondents demonstrated good knowledge of standard precaution however doctors displayed a higher level of knowledge compared to nurses and the difference was statistically significant (48.6% and 37.6% respectively, p=0.01 ). Predictors of good knowledge were the male gender and doctors with males being less likely to have good knowledge (Odds Ratio= 0.210, C.I: 0.055 -0.799, p=0.022) and doctors being 2 times more likely to have good knowledge (Odds Ratio= 9.030, C.I: 2.342- 34.813, p=0.001). Hand hygiene and sharps disposal practices xvi recorded higher compliance levels compared with the use of protective eye goggles and face shields. Significantly more nurses 91(25.3%) always practiced hand hygiene before touching a patient compared to doctors 69(19.2%). The difference was statistically significant (p<0.0001). Respondents who previously attended infection prevention training demonstrated better compliance compared with those without training. There were no statistically significant predictors of compliance for doctors and nurses. Conclusion: Although healthcare workers demonstrated moderate to good knowledge and compliance with standard precautions, important gaps still exist. Continuous infection prevention training, improved institutional support and adequate provision of personal protective equipment are recommended to improve adherence to standard precautions among healthcare workers in UBTH

Team-based care is an approach to healthcare delivery that aims to improve patient safety, streamline clinical workflows, and reduce clinical errors. While collaborative models are known to improve patient outcomes, their implementation in everyday practice can be limited by varied levels of awareness, traditional hospital hierarchies, and communication xvi gaps among healthcare professionals. This study assessed the knowledge and perception of team- based care among clinical staff in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted among 418 clinical staff at UBTH, selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using a pretested, structured, self-administered questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of team-based care principles, overall perception of interprofessional collaboration, and factors influencing its practical implementation. Knowledge and perception scores were categorized as good (≥50%) or poor (<50%). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 27.0. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression were used as appropriate. Results: The mean age of respondents was 36.84 ± 8.65 years, with the largest proportion (45.1%) in the 30–39 years age group. Most respondents (58.2%) were nurses, while 31.4% comprised doctors, pharmacists, and other clinical professionals. Overall, 88.5% of respondents had previously heard of team-based care, with clinical meetings and departmental seminars being the most common sources of information (54.0%). A total of 72.0% had good knowledge of team-based care frameworks, and 84.0% held a positive perception toward its practice. Professional cadre was significantly associated with knowledge (\chi^2 = 26.14, p < 0.001), and years of clinical work experience was also significantly associated with knowledge (\chi^2 = 8.45, p = 0.012). Conclusion: Although overall baseline knowledge of team-based care was moderate, with 72.0% of respondents demonstrating good knowledge, the majority of clinical staff held a positive perception toward interprofessional collaboration (84%). These findings suggest that xvii while readiness to adopt collaborative care is high among staff, practical execution faces systemic institutional challenges. Routine interprofessional training workshops, formalized hospital guidelines, and the early introduction of team-based modules in undergraduate medical and health curricula are recommended to improve collaborative healthcare delivery at UBTH. Keywords: Team-based care; knowledge; perception; clinical staff; interprofessional collaboration; UBTH; Nigeria.

Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) present a major threat to patient safety, treatment outcomes, and healthcare sustainability globally, with a disproportionately higher burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite the critical role of tertiary health centres in specialized care, comprehensive data establishing both the precise prevalence of HAIs and the institutional capacity of reporting mechanisms remain scarce in many regional facilities. This study was conducted to investigate the epidemiological burden of HAIs and evaluate the existing surveillance reporting structures at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Nigeria.
Methods: A sequential mixed-methods cross-sectional design was deployed across diverse clinical wards at UBTH. For the quantitative phase, a sample size of 429 in-patients was selected utilizing a multi-stage sampling approach incorporating proportional allocation and simple random sampling. Data were gathered via researcher-administered structured questionnaires, clinical records, and laboratory reviews. Quantitative analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression to isolate independent predictors. For the qualitative phase, purposive sampling was used to conduct seven (7) Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with clinical consultants, nursing leadership, and infection control officers. Qualitative data were processed using thematic analysis via NVivo software.
Results: The quantitative survey achieved a 100% response rate across the 429 participants. The confirmed point prevalence of HAIs was 5.8% (n = 25), with an additional 0.2% (n = 1) categorized as suspected cases, while 93.9% (n = 403) showed no evidence of infection. Among the 25 confirmed cases, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) were the most frequent clinical presentation at 48.0% (n = 12), followed by surgical site infections (SSIs) at 16.0% (n = 4), hospital-acquired pneumonia at 12.0% (n = 3), non-catheter- associated UTIs at 12.0% (n = 3), puerperal sepsis at 8.0% (n = 2), and burn area infections at 4.0% (n = 1). Multivariable binary logistic regression revealed that the lengths of hospital stay (OR = 1.067, 95% CI: 1.033–1.102, p < 0.001) and active urethral catheterization (OR = 6.233, 95% CI: 2.316–16.772, p < 0.001) were the only statistically significant independent predictors of acquiring an infection. Socio-demographic factors (such as age and sex) and chronic client comorbidities showed no significant independent associations (p > 0.05). Qualitatively, key informants highlighted a critical operational deficit: a formalized, hospital- wide infection reporting protocol for frontline clinicians is practically absent. Surveillance remains an entirely manual, paper-based tracking process conducted independently by an under-resourced Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) unit due to a complete lack of digital infrastructure, technical training, and routine departmental feedback loops. Despite these barriers, there was universal consensus on the institutional value of a centralized reporting framework for establishing data-driven benchmarks and enhancing active antimicrobial stewardship.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that while the recorded point prevalence of HAIs at UBTH is relatively modest, it is significantly and independently driven by modifiable hospital-level exposures—specifically device utilization and prolonged admission windows—rather than immutable patient comorbidities. Crucially, the integrity of this epidemiological data is actively limited by a fragmented, manual reporting apparatus. To mitigate this burden and ensure patient safety, UBTH must transition away from paper-reliant tracking toward an integrated, hospital-wide electronic surveillance architecture alongside mandatory clinical care bundles and structured departmental data feedback loops

Background: Patient safety is a fundamental component of quality healthcare and an essential aspect of healthcare training. Medical errors and preventable adverse events remain major causes of morbidity and mortality globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria. Adequate knowledge and positive perceptions of patient safety are important for promoting safe clinical practice and reducing preventable harm. However, gaps in patient safety education and training continue to exist among medical and nursing students. Objective: This study assessed the knowledge, perception and determinants of patient safety among medical and nursing students in the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Benin City, Edo State. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 consenting medical and nursing students in the University of Benin selected through a stratified sampling technique. Data was collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire adapted from the WHO Patient Safety Curriculum Guide and the Attitudes to Patient Safety Questionnaire III (APSQ-III). The questionnaire assessed respondents’socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of patient safety, perception toward patient safety, and determinants influencing patient safety knowledge and perception. Data collected was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 27.0. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations were used to summarize the data. Chi-square test and multivariable analysis were used to determine associations and predictors of patient safety knowledge and perception. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results were presented in tables, charts and prose. Results: A total of 420 respondents participated in the study, with a mean age of 22.2 ± 2.6 years. Most respondents, 383 (91.2%) had heard of patient safety with lectures 298 (71.0%) and clinical postings 273 (65.0%) being the major sources of information. Three hundred and eighty-nine (92.6%) of respondents had good knowledge of patient safety. Respondents residing off-campus were significantly less likely to have good knowledge of patient safety compared to those living in school hostels (OR = 0.376, 95% CI: 0.145-0.974, p = 0.044), while respondents who had not heard of patient safety were about 92% less likely to have good knowledge compared to those who were aware (OR = 0.081, 95% CI: 0.029-0.227, p < 0.001). Overall, 273 (65%) had positive perception of patient safety. Majority agreed that patient safety is a global issue (92.4%), most clinical errors are preventable (92.6%), patient involvement improves safety (93.3%) and teamwork reduces errors (88.8%). Respondents sponsored by parents were about three times more likely to have positive perception compared to those who sponsored themselves (OR = 3.296, 95% CI: 1.325-8.194, p = 0.010). Determinants influencing patient safety included supervisory emphasis on patient safety (96.7%), integration of safety concepts into lectures and training (87.1%), adequate clinical training (71.7%), practical teaching methods (97.9%), and personal motivation (86.7%). Conclusion: Medical and nursing students in the University of Benin demonstrated generally good knowledge and positive perceptions of patient safety. Despite this, gaps still exist in system-based understanding of patient safety. Strengthening patient safety education through improved curriculum integration and simulation-based learning is recommended to further promote patient safety culture among future healthcare professionals.

Background: Task-shifting in primary healthcare was an initiative long adopted by the Federal Ministry of Health to assist in ensuring human resource maximization for universal health coverage especially across domains of reproductive, maternal, child health, family planning, and high prevalence communicable illness like tuberculosis and malaria. Despite its potential, only some states have adopted and begun implementation of the strategy, and among states that have adopted it like Edo State, the necessary assessment to understand the implementation level, acceptance, integration status and concerns of health workers about it locally, is limited. Aim: This study assessed the knowledge, perception and barriers to task-shifting among primary healthcare workers in Benin-City. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 healthcare workers selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured, self and interviewer administered questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, perception, barriers and enablers to task-shifting. Data were analysed using SPSS version 27.0. Univariate analysis summarised means, frequencies, and percentages. Bivariate analysis using chi square tests determined associations between socio-demographic factors and respondents’ knowledge and perception. Binary logistic regression identified independent determinants of good knowledge and perception. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 120 respondents participated, with a mean age of 35.9 ± 8.6 years, with females being 112 (93.3%), males 8 (6.7%). Those who demonstrated good knowledge were 37 (30.8%), and those with poor knowledge 83 (69.2%). Receiving training on task-shifting was found to be statistically significant and associated with knowledge, as those with prior training had good knowledge (59.9%) record than those without (17%) (χ²: 21.455; p < 0.001). Perception of task-shifting was mixed, as good and poor perception were almost equally distributed at 59 (49.2%) and 61 (50.8%) respectively. Age was significantly associated with perception, and was also a significant predictor of knowledge, with increasing age associated with reduced likelihood of positive perception (OR = 0.927; p = 0.024). Workers with 5 – 9 years of experience were also less likely to have positive perception of task-shifting (OR = 0.165, 95% CI: 0.031–0.872, p = 0.034). The barriers to task-shifting encountered most by respondents were inadequate training and knowledge gaps (mean score: 3.99 ± 1.19), lack of clear job description or role boundary (3.74 ± 1.28), inadequate supervision or monitoring (3.64 ± 1.28), lack of incentives or recognition (3.54 ± 1.33), resistance from higher cadres, shortage of staff and related issues were also mentioned as challenges/barriers. The enablers reported were adequate training, and supportive supervision (3.90 ± 1.42), availability of clear policy guideline (3.93 ± 1.42), teamwork and collaboration among cadres (3.77 ± 1.41), support from management and policy makers (3.79 ± 1.41). Conclusion: Primary healthcare workers in Benin-City had predominantly poor knowledge of task-shifting and the national task-shifting policy, coupled with mixed perception of task-shifting. Inadequate knowledge or training among staff, lack of clear job descriptions or roles, inadequate supervision or mentoring, lack of incentives or recognition were the identified barriers, while adequate training and supportive supervision, provision of policy guidelines, teamwork and inter-cadre collaboration, and support from management and policy makers were named among enablers. There should be concerted efforts to improve knowledge and perception of task- shifting through training and adequate supervision provision; this will also remove barriers to task-shifting.

Background: Humam Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the most prevalent viral infection of the reproductive system. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection, and most people acquire it soon after becoming sexually active. HPV infection is the primary cause of almost all cervical cancers and certain HPV types also contribute to the development of cancers in the anus, vulva, vagina, penis, and oropharynx. Cervical cancer can be prevented through interventions such as health education, safe sex practices, and HPV vaccination.
Aim: The study evaluated the awareness about HPV vaccines, attitude towards HPV vaccination, the prevalence of HPV vaccination and associated factors among female secondary school students in Benin City, Edo State.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 330 secondary school students who were selected using multi-stage sampling technique. A pretested, structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, awareness and knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccination, attitudes towards HPV vaccination; and uptake of the vaccine. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27.0. Univariate analysis was used to assess the mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentages of variables. Bivariate analysis using chi-square test and Fischer’s Exact test were used to determine the association between respondent’s sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge, attitude, and uptake of HPV vaccination. Independent predictors of knowledge, attitude, and uptake of HPV vaccination were assessed using binary logistic regression. The level of statistical significance was set to p<0.05. Results were presented in prose, tables and charts.