Table 1. Studies identified in the systematic review on blood and body fluid exposure among health-care workers in Africa, 2000–2017.
| Study authors and year | Country and continental region | Data reported | Study participants and settinga | Prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF, % | Prevalence of PCI, % | Risk of biasb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newsom and Kiwanuka,13 2002 | Uganda, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of PCI | 180 doctors, nurses and laboratory staff in Mbarara Teaching Hospital | N/A | 12-month: 55.0 | Low |
| Le Pont et al.,9 2003 | Burundi, central Africa | Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated PCI data | 219 doctors, nurses, nursing assistants and auxiliary staff in Kamenge University Hospital, Bujumbura | Lifetime: 79.5; 12-month: 67.6 | 12-month: 55.0 | Low |
| Talaat et al.,14 2003 | Egypt, northern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 1845 doctors, dentists, nurses and laboratory and auxiliary staff in 98 health-care facilities (i.e. government hospitals, primary care facilities and private facilities) in two Governorates (Nile Delta and Upper Egypt) | N/A | Lifetime: 69.4 | Moderate |
| Bodkin and Bruce,15 2003 | South Africa, southern Africa | 12-month prevalence of PCI | 159 doctors, nurses and medical and nursing students in a teaching hospital in Gauteng | N/A | 12-month: 16.4 | Low |
| Tarantola et al.,16 2005 | Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Senegal, western Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 1241 doctors, nurses, laboratory staff and clinical students in 43 hospital departments and transfusion clinics in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Bamako (Mali) and Dakar (Senegal) | 12-month: 45.7 | 12-month: 38.1 | Moderate |
| Ismail et al.,17 2005 | Egypt, northern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 1100 doctors and nurses in 7 hospitals and 18 primary health-care centres in Gharbiya Governorate | N/A | Lifetime: 66.2 | Moderate |
| Obi et al.,18 2005 | Nigeria, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 264 surgeons in five tertiary health institutions in south-eastern Nigeria | N/A | Lifetime: 66.7 | Moderate |
| Nsubuga and Jaakkola,19 2005 | Uganda, eastern Africa | Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of PCI | 526 nurses and midwives in Mulago national referral hospital in Kampala, Uganda | N/A | Lifetime: 82; 12-month: 57 | Low |
| National AIDS and STD Control Programme,20 2006 | Kenya, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 1897 doctors, clinical officers, nurses, laboratory technicians, social workers and other support staff across a nationally representative sample of 247 health-care facilities | 12-month: 17.0 | ND | Low |
| Ibekwe and Ibeziako,7 2006 | Nigeria, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 246 doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and ward attendants in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu | N/A | Lifetime: 53.7 | High |
| Braka et al.,21 2006 | Uganda, eastern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 311 doctors, dental staff, nurses, laboratory staff, midwives and auxiliary staff in 48 districts in Uganda | N/A | Lifetime: 77.2 | Low |
| Kabbash et al.,22 2007 | Egypt, northern Africa | 12-month prevalence of PCI | 317 doctors and nurses from 32 haemodialysis units in the Nile delta | N/A | 12-month: 48.6 | Low |
| Sofola et al.,23 2007 | Nigeria, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 153 clinical dental students in four dental training institutions in Lagos, Ibadan, Ife and Benin | Lifetime: 58.8 | ND | Moderate |
| De Villiers et al.,24 2007 | South Africa, southern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 228 doctors in public and private practice in Bloemfontein | Lifetime: 54.2 | ND | Low |
| Taegtmeyer et al.,25 2008 | Kenya, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of PCI | 554 doctors, nurses and counsellors in 11 health facilities: two hospitals, eight health centres and one dispensary, Thika District | N/A | 12-month: 30 | Low |
| Laraqui et al.,26 2008 | Morocco, northern Africa | Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 2086 doctors, nurses and laboratory and support staff in 10 hospitals in 10 cities | Lifetime: 76.6; 12-month: 58.9 | ND | Low |
| Okeke et al.,27 2008 | Nigeria, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 346 medical students in a university | N/A | Lifetime:48 | Moderate |
| Manyele et al.,28 2008 | United Republic of Tanzania, eastern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 430 nurses and attendants in 14 district, regional and referral hospitals | Lifetime: 74.6 | Lifetime: 52.9 | Moderate |
| Laraqui et al.,29 2009 | Morocco, northern Africa | Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 1002 doctors, nurses and support staff in four hospitals in the cities of Meknes, Taza, Tiznit and Rabat | Lifetime: 89.2; 12-month: 62.8 | ND | Low |
| Reda et al.,30 2010 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 484 doctors, nurses, midwives, laboratory technicians, health officers and assistants in 10 hospitals and 20 health centres, eastern Ethiopia | Lifetime: 85.0; 12-month: 51.2 | Lifetime: 56.2; 12-month: 31.0 | Low |
| Tadesse and Tadesse,31 2010 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of PCI | 366 nurses and laboratory technicians in 26 health facilities including a university teaching hospital and one private hospital in Awassa City, southern Ethiopia | N/A | Lifetime: 49.2; 12-month: 30.9 | Low |
| Tebeje and Hailu,32 2010 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 254 doctors, nurses, midwives, laboratory technicians and health officers in government health facilities in Jimma zone and Jimma City | Lifetime: 68.5 | Lifetime: 41.3 | Moderate |
| Azodo,33 2010 | Nigeria, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 300 dentists across Nigeria | N/A | Lifetime: 69.3 | High |
| Hanafi et al.,34 2011 | Egypt, northern Africa | 12-month prevalence of PCI | 645 doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff in University of Alexandria teaching hospitals | N/A | 12-month: 67.9 | Low |
| Nwankwo and Aniebue,35 2011 | Nigeria, western Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 184 trainee surgeons in three hospitals in Enugu, south-eastern Nigeria | 12-month: 67.5 | ND | Moderate |
| Elduma and Saeed,36 2011 | Sudan, eastern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 245 doctors, dentists, nurses and laboratory and support staff in three teaching hospitals, Khartoum | N/A | Lifetime: 51 | Moderate |
| Kumakech et al.,37 2011 | Uganda, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 224 doctors, nurses, midwives, laboratory staff and medical and nursing students in Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, south-western Uganda | 12-month: 33.9 | 12-month: 23.6 | Low |
| Ngatu et al.,8 2012 | Democratic Republic of the Congo, central Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types exposure to BBF | 1043 doctors, nurses and laboratory and support staff in four urban and rural hospitals in the southern town of Lubumbashi and the western semirural city of Matadi | 12-month: 44.9 | ND | Moderate |
| Shiferaw et al.,38 2012 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 126 medical waste handlers in three government hospitals in Addis Ababa | 12-month: 67.5 | 12-month: 42.1 | Moderate |
| Pellissier et al.,39 2012 | Niger, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 207 nurses and medical, paramedical, cleaning and administrative staff in Niamey’s National Hospital | N/A | Lifetime: 40.1 | Moderate |
| Owolabi et al.,40 2012 | Nigeria, western Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 230 doctors, nurses and laboratory staff in University of Abuja Teaching Hospital | 12-month: 30.9 | 12-month: 24.8 | Low |
| Odongkara et al.,41 2012 | Uganda, eastern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 235 doctors, nurses and laboratory staff in Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital Lacor, northern Uganda | Lifetime: 46 | ND | Moderate |
| Noubiap et al.,42 2013 | Cameroon, central Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 111 clinical medical students of the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaoundé | Lifetime: 55.9 | ND | Moderate |
| Zawilla and Ahmed,43 2013 | Egypt, northern Africa | 12-month prevalence of PCI | 1036 health-care workers in Cairo University Hospitals | N/A | 12-month: 40 | Low |
| Mathewos et al.,44 2013 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 195 doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, midwives, anaesthetists, heath officers and physiotherapists in Gondar University Hospital | Lifetime: 33.8 | ND | Low |
| Yimechew and Tadese Ejigu,45 2013 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 285 doctors, nurses, laboratory staff, auxiliary staff and medical students in the University of Gondar Hospital | Lifetime: 70.2; 12-month: 62.9 | 12-month: 41 | Low |
| Mbaisi et al.,46 2013 | Kenya, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 305 doctors, clinical officers, nurses, laboratory personnel, mortuary attendants, housekeeping staff and clinical students in Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital | 12-month: 25 | 12-month: 19 | Low |
| Osazuwa-Peters et al.,47 2013 | Nigeria, western Africa | 12-month prevalence of PCI | 144 medical and dental house officers in three government hospitals in Edo State | N/A | 12-month: 56.9 | Low |
| Bagny et al.,48 2013 | Togo, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 155 nurses in Lome Campus Teaching Hospital | Lifetime: 34.8 | ND | Moderate |
| Mashoto et al.,49 2013 | United Republic of Tanzania, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 401 doctors, dentists, dental assistants, clinical officers, nurses, laboratory staff, radiologists, physiotherapists and health attendants in Tumbi and Dodoma regional hospitals | 12-month: 47.9 | 12-month: 39.1 | Low |
| Zoungrana et al.,50 2014 | Burkina Faso, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 275 student nurses and midwives in the medical ward of the Bobo-Dioulasso teaching hospital | Lifetime: 29.1 | ND | Moderate |
| Beyera and Beyen,51 2014 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 401 doctors, anaesthetists, nurses, laboratory staff, health officer and cleaners in four public health institutions (one hospital and three health centres) in Gondar city | 12-month: 40.4 | 12-month: 22.9 | Low |
| Yenesew and Fekadu,52 2014 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 317 nurses, health officers, health assistants, doctors, laboratory technicians and dentists in health-care facilities, Bahir Dar town | Lifetime: 76.0; 12-month: 65.9 | Lifetime: 45.9; 12-month: 29.0 | Low |
| Aynalem Tesfay and Dejenie Habtewold,53 2014 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 211 doctors, nurses, midwives, health officers and laboratory technicians in two hospitals and two health centres in Debre Berhan town, Amhara region | 12-month: 56.7 | 12-month: 31.5 | Low |
| Beyene and Tadesse,54 2014 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 532 health-care workers in two hospitals and six health centres run by the government in Hawassa Town, southern Ethiopia | 12-month: 51.9 | ND | Low |
| Ajibola et al.,55 2014 | Nigeria, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 300 doctors and nurses in Lagos University Teaching Hospital | N/A | Lifetime: 47.3 | Moderate |
| Amira and Awobusuyi,56 2014 | Nigeria, western Africa | Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of PCI | 102 doctors, nurses, dialysis technicians and auxiliary health staff in four (two government and two private) dialysis units in Lagos | N/A | Lifetime: 40.2; 12-month: 24.5 | Moderate |
| Ogoina et al.,57 2014 | Nigeria, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 230 doctors, nurses and laboratory staff in two tertiary hospitals in north-central and south-south Nigeria | Lifetime: 84 | ND | Moderate |
| Mbah,58 2014 | South Africa, southern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 515 doctors and nurses in public, primary health-care settings in subdistrict F of Johannesburg metropolitan district | 12-month: 25.2 | ND | Low |
| Bekele et al.,59 2015 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 340 doctors, anaesthetists, health officers, nurses, midwives, laboratory personnel, laundry workers and waste handlers in four hospitals in Bale zone, south-east Ethiopia | N/A | Lifetime: 37.1 | Low |
| Burmen and Osoga,60 2015 | Kenya, eastern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 116 laboratory staff | Lifetime: 77 | ND | High |
| Arheiam and Ingafou,61 2015 | Libya, northern Africa | 12-month prevalence of PCI | 340 dental practitioners | N/A | 12-month: 35.1 | Low |
| Kone and Malle,62 2015 | Mali, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 128 doctors, nurses and students in a public hospital in Ségou, south-western Mali. | Lifetime: 64.1 | ND | Moderate |
| Kateera et al.,63 2015 | Rwanda, eastern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 378 doctors, nurses and laboratory and support staff in the University Teaching Hospital of Butare, Huye District, Southern Province, Rwanda | N/A | Lifetime: 57.1 | Moderate |
| Chalya et al.,64 2015 | United Republic of Tanzania, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 436 doctors, nurses, laboratory staff and auxiliary health workers in Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza | 12-month: 48.6 | 12-month: 31.7 | Low |
| Mponela et al.,65 2015 | United Republic of Tanzania, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 291 doctors, dental staff, nurses, laboratory staff, medical attendants and cleaners in one referral and two district hospitals, Mbeya region | 12-month: 35.1 | 12-month: 22.0 | Low |
| Kassa et al.,66 2016 | Botswana, southern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 1624 doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians in three public hospitals: a referral hospital and two district hospitals | Lifetime: 67.2 | ND | Moderate |
| Kaweti and Abegaz,67 2016 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of PCI | 496 doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and cleaners in two public hospitals: Hawassa Referral and Adare District hospitals | N/A | Lifetime: 46; 12-month: 28 | Low |
| Oluwatosin et al.,68 2016 | Nigeria, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of PCI | 642 doctors, nurses, laboratory workers and health attendants in two specialist hospitals in Ondo State | N/A | Lifetime: 55.8 | Moderate |
| Nmadu et al.,69 2016 | Nigeria, western Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 172 nurses, midwives, community health workers and laboratory technicians in 14 primary health-care centres in Kaduna State | Lifetime: 68.9 | ND | Low |
| Makhado and Davhana-Maselesele,70 2016 | South Africa, southern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 233 nurses in a regional hospital in Limpopo Province | 12-month: 43 | ND | Low |
| Lahuerta et al.,71 2016 | United Republic of Tanzania, eastern Africa | Lifetime prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 973 doctors, nurses, dentists, students, cleaners and other support workers in three public hospitals | Lifetime: 79 | Lifetime: 37 | Low |
| Shindano et al.,72 2017 | Democratic Republic of the Congo, central Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF | 217 doctors and nurses in Bukavu, an eastern town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo | 12-month: 42.8 | ND | Low |
| Sharew et al.,73 2017 | Ethiopia, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of PCI | 195 nurses, midwives, laboratory staff, doctors, health officers and anaesthetists in two hospitals in Debre Berhan town, north-eastern Ethiopia | N/A | 12-month: 32.8 | Low |
| Laisser and Ng’Home,74 2017 | United Republic of Tanzania, eastern Africa | 12-month prevalence of all types of exposure to BBF and disaggregated data on PCI | 277 doctors, nurses and laboratory and auxiliary staff in 31 private and public health facilities in Kahama District, north-western United Republic of Tanzania | 12-month: 59.2 | 12-month: 34.7 | Moderate |
AIDS: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; BBF: blood and body fluid; N/A: not applicable; ND: not determined; PCI: percutaneous injury; STD: sexually transmitted disease.
a All studies were cross-sectional.
b The risk of bias was assessed as described in the methods.