ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE AMONG LACTATING HIV POSITIVE WOMENS ABOUT FEEDING OF INFANT IN ATTAT GENERAL HOSPITAL SOUTH ETHIOPIA, 2020

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mother to child transmission (MTCT) is the main mode of HIV transmission in children under 15 years old. This problem is significant in sub-Saharan African countries, where more than 80% of children living with HIV are found. The balance between the risk of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through breastfeeding and its life saving benefits complicates decisions about infant feeding among HIV –positive mothers in the 6 month. The world health organization recommends feeding practices for infants from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected mothers to be safe to both the infant and the mother. To date, however, no community based studies have been conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of the target population of PMTCT programs (pregnant or lactating mothers), and the counseling/ care providers about feeding of infants born to HIV positive women in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: it assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice of HIV –positive lactating women at Attat General Hospital, Gurage zone, SNNP Region, South Ethiopia 2020. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among womens, who are lactating HIV-positive at Attat General Hospital/ from November to December. Data was collected by using Simple random sampling technique. Data on was collected using a Semi structured questionnaire adapted from literatures, then; the data was entered using EP- info version seven statistical software and analyzed using SPSS version20. RESULT Of 362 who were eligible for the study 12( 3.31%) refused to participate. From the remaining 350 lactating mothers with HIV data was collected. Among the study subjects (n=350),279(79.7%) visited health institutions for antenatal care and 71( 20.3% ) not visited during their last pregnancy from study size 127(36.3%) of mother were having sufficent(good knoweldge) about infant feeding however more than half of study size 223(63.7%) have no sufficent knoweldge.143(40.9) mothers have good attitude and 207(59.1) poor attitude.more than half of the study 193(55.1) have good practiced and 157(44.9) of them have poor practiced. Conclusion: safe breast feeding HIV exposed infants in hospitals of attat is still achallenge in order to achieve the goal of HIV free survival in children,the cause of poor breast feeding practice must be identified and addressed.focus must be laid on education of HIV postive women during pregnancy and throughout breast feeding period