Nurses constitute 70% of trained health providers in Zambia. In 1999, 45% of the 415 nurses left the health sector because they died. This was equivalent to a crude death rate of 31/1000 nurses in-post, about the 1.5 times the national average. Nurses cannot be excluded from the adverse effects of HIV/AIDS in Zambia, now estimated at 20% in adults. To date, no programs systematically target health workers as direct recipients of HIV/AIDS prevention education in the country. Given the vital role of voluntary counseling and testing in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, as advocated by MOH and UNAIDS, a cross-sectional survey of 106 nurses was conducted in 2000. Using a self-administered questionnaire, nurses provided information on their HIV test status, aspects of VCT most important to them and a scoring of how well centers around them performed. Knowledge of VCT was universal and 22% had ever tested for HIV. “Confidentiality” and “privacy” ranked amidst the top 3 important attributes of a VCT program among those have ever tested and those who have not. In those who had never tested, the “ready availability of needles and syringes” ranked among the top 3 important attributes. “Quality of post-test counseling” and “care and support” were among the lowest rated in terms of performance. These results provide insight on how to better market VCT as a product among nurses. The importance of assuring continuous availability of essential supplies is also underscored. Reliable logistics management is linked to perceived quality of VCT.
Learning Objectives: Particpants will have gained insights on the use of marketing research for Voluntary Counseling and Testing Services (VCT). Participants will have learnt at least three factors affecting the use of VCT services in Zambia, a less developed country.
Keywords: HIV Interventions, Health Care Workers
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.