Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jan 19;14(1):103-110.
doi: 10.1093/inthealth/ihab017.

Physicians' perceptions of their knowledge and the preparedness of health facilities in Angola to diagnose and manage COVID-19

Margarete Arrais  1   2 , Welwitschia Dias  1 , Jorge M R Gama  3 , Miguel Brito  2   4
Affiliations

Physicians' perceptions of their knowledge and the preparedness of health facilities in Angola to diagnose and manage COVID-19

Margarete Arrais et al. Int Health. .

Abstract

Background: Healthcare professionals represent a vulnerable group in terms of responding to COVID-19. Knowledge can influence healthcare professionals through adoption of the correct attitudes and practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate, by a questionnaire, the perceptions of physicians about their level of knowledge as well as conditions in their workplaces for dealing with COVID-19.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of Angolan physicians took place from 11 May to 23 June 2020. A questionnaire was electronically shared across social media and via email.

Results: The sample consisted of 637 valid questionnaires; 53% of respondents were female, 41% were aged 31-40 y and 79% were from Luanda province. About 51% of physicians perceived that they had adequate knowledge about COVID-19 and 64% used personal protective equipment. These figures were higher among specialists from the province of Luanda. About 81% stated that their health units lacked the technical capacity to diagnose COVID-19. Only 35% of health units have chest tomography equipment; 44% are prepared for the care and/or isolation of patients. Only 33% of units are running intensive care units. The main concerns of physicians were training opportunities and limited access to personal protective equipment.

Conclusion: The results show that it is necessary to strengthen physicians' knowledge about COVID-19, as well as to improve the conditions of the health units, so as to promote safe practices.

Keywords: Angola; COVID-19; healthcare units; knowledge; physicians.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Trends of cases, deaths and recoveries by epidemiological week. (Note that the study period is represented within the box). Data from the Angolan Ministry of Health.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. World Health Organization. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, 2020. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 [accessed 8 August 2020].
    1. Gorbalenya AE, Baker SC, Baric RS et al. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: The species and its viruses – a statement of the Coronavirus Study Group. bioRxiv. 2020:1–15. DOI: 10.1101/2020.02.07.937862. - DOI
    1. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Coronavirus (COVID-19), 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html [accessed 8 August 2020].
    1. Gilbert M, Pullano G, Pinotti F et al. Preparedness and vulnerability of African countries against importations of COVID-19: a modelling study. Lancet. 2020;395:871–7. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kretchy IA, Asiedu-Danso M, Kretchy JP. Medication management and adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives and experiences from low-and middle-income countries. Res Soc Adm Pharm. 2021;17:2023–6. - PMC - PubMed