HIV transmission in the dental setting and the HIV-infected oral health care professional: workshop 1C

Health policy and regulations in Seychelles - barriers and opportunities for oral health inclusion

BACKGROUND

Successful and inclusive policies that embrace oral health as part of the health agenda have the potential to alleviate the burden of oral diseases and to promote dental public health. This study aimed to understand the factors influencing the inclusion of oral health in health and public policy and regulations in the Seychelles. The barriers and opportunities for inclusion / non-inclusion as well as the impact thereof were explored.

METHODOLOGY

A qualitative approach was adopted using document analysis and interviews as data collection strategies to allow for a complete analysis of the research problem. Using a purposive sampling approach, individual face to face interviews were conducted with patients, dental staff and representatives of the upper management. Policy and related oral health statistical documents were reviewed to ascertain how oral health was located and implemented from a national to a district level. Thematic analysis and content analysis were used to analyse and interpret the qualitative data.

RESULTS

The study provided insight on how oral health is contextualised in the Seychelles and how public policy and strategic documents influences the oral health outcomes. There is fragmentation in how the health and oral health agendas are managed and it is coupled with a severe lack of involvement and commitment to address the latter.

CONCLUSION

Oral health needs to be integrated in all relevant policies and public health programmes as part of the broader national NCDs in Seychelles in order reduce the incidence of oral diseases in the population.

Dental practice, human immunodeficiency virus transmission and occupational risks: views from a teaching hospital in Nigeria

Background:

More than 40 oral manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have been recorded and between 70% and 90% of persons with HIV infection will have at least one oral manifestation at some time during the course of their disease. Oral health-care workers (OHCWs) are therefore, key players in the prevention and management of HIV-infection.

Aim:

The aim of this study was toassess the perceptions of the OHCWs from a Teaching Hospital in Nigeria toward HIV transmission in dental practice and occupational risk.

Subjects and Methods:

A cross-sectional study. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. A total of 113 OHCWs comprising students, house officers, resident doctors, dental nurses and consultants participated. Analysis was by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 17 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Data analysis included descriptive statistics (frequency distribution and cross tabulation).

Results:

More than half 64/113 (56%) of the respondents were in the age group 20-30 years and females 68/113 (60%). Though 88% (100/113) of the respondents demonstrated a good knowledge about HIV transmission, 82/113 respondents (72%) disagreed that the risk of HIV transmission in the dental clinic was very low. 82.4% (93/113) did not know that saliva contains anti-HIV activity while 46% (52/113) agreed that pure saliva does not contain the virus except when contaminated by blood. 86.7% (98/113) of the OHCWs disagreed that dental professionals have a lower risk of being infected with HIV compared with other health-care providers.

Conclusion:

The OHCWs studied manifested some inaccurate perception of occupational risks as regards HIV transmission in dental practice. This could lead to potential stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome and thus hindering efforts geared at curtailing the spread of the virus.