Knowledge and practice of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV among traditional birth attendants in Lagos State, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Traditional birth attendants (TBAs) assist most deliveries in Nigeria. Knowing and understanding all issues surrounding HIV/AIDS and Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) can help them to protect themselves and others. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of PMTCT amongst TBAs in Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey. Multistage sampling method was used to select 108 registered TBAs in 2 local governments areas who were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. RESULTS: All the respondents were aware of HIV but their awareness of PMTCT specifically was not as high. Only 8.3% of the respondents had good level of knowledge about HIV and PMTCT and up to 13% of them claimed to be able to cure HIV using native remedies. The practices of HIV counseling of patients and referral of patients for HIV testing were low and higher levels of knowledge positively influenced these practices significantly (p < 0.05). They were also deficient in certain measures to prevent infection of patients and themselves. CONCLUSION: Most of the TBAs did not have adequate knowledge and practice of PMTCT illustrating the need for periodic PMTCT training for TBAs.