Subjects were HCWs who might have contacted sharps contaminated with blood and body fluids during the work.
Approximately 3 million health workers across the globe are injured by sharps contaminated with HBV, HCV or HIV annually [ 32].
In the USA, 1 385 280 sharp injuries were estimated to occur annually, and 22 000 HCWs were exposed to at least one percutaneous injury with a sharp object contaminated with HCV 2 (http://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/en/sharps.pdf).pdf
Most respondents (87.8%) knew HIV could be transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse; 87.6%, 86.8% and 67.9% stated that it could be transmitted through sharing sharp objects, contaminated blood transfusion and from infected mother to child respectively.
The Directive calls for the elimination of risk to the maximum degree possible and, beginning with mandatory risk assessment, it recommends adherence to a range of measures to eliminate risk where it exists to prevent injury and protect healthcare workers, including: Implementing safe procedures for using and disposing of sharps and contaminated waste.
"HIV and AIDS can be transmitted by 1) using contaminated sharp instruments-, 2)unsafe blood transfusion, 3) contaminated blood transfusion, 4) not transmitted through shaking hands-, 5) not transmitted through eating with infected people".
Knowledge about modes of HIV transmission was assessed using the statements: "HIV can be transmitted by: 1) using contaminated sharp instruments; 2) unsafe blood transfusion; 3) shaking hands; 4) eating with infected people".
The remaining participants identified that sharing contaminated sharp materials with a person who is already infected with the virus, as well as mother-to-child transition, were other modes of transmission.
This approach is ambitious since it requires that CHWs be trained to use injectable antibiotics dosed according to infant body weight and that systems be established for managing contaminated sharps, storing antibiotics appropriately, and for reclaiming expired drugs.
All sharps and any waste contaminated by blood or bodily fluids and should be incinerated or autoclaved to interrupt transmission (31 ).
