Abstract

Background: AIDs is still the leading cause of death in the global community more especially in Sub- Sahara Africa including Eswatini. To fast track uptake of Antiretroviral therapy in Eswatini Test and Start has been introduced, aimed at initiating all people living with HIV on ART as soon as possible after diagnosis regardless of CD4 count, viral load or clinical stage. Knowledge and attitude of nurses towards the Test and Start program is an important consideration in improving ART uptake. Hence the study aimed at investigating the knowledge and attitudes of nurses on Test and Start in one referral hospital in Eswatini.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional quantitative design was employed among 50 participants, selected through simple random sampling. All participants were registered nurses with at-least one-year work experience in departments providing Test and Start. An adapted, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation.

Findings: All participants (100%, N=50) reported to have heard about Test and Start, 50% (n = 25) obtained information from integrated trainings (which were basically for other courses and only 2% from literature. Most of them (56%, n=28) have not been formally educated, but they all knew the definition of Test and Start, only 12% (n=6) did not know the eligibility criteria for Test and Start. About 56% (n=28) complained that its increased workload, 62% (n=31) complained that Test and Start is complicated. There was a statistically significant association between knowledge and attitudes on Test and Start (r =0.394, p=0.005). Training was also significantly related with attitudes on Test and Start (r=0.349, p=0.013)

Conclusion: Awareness was high but there was knowledge deficit among nurses on Test and Start. Few nurses were trained on Test and Start hence the attitudes were reported negative towards the initiative.

Keywords: Knowledge; Attitudes; Test & Start; HIV; Antiretroviral therapy