Observational Study Open Access
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jan 6, 2025; 13(1): 99884
Published online Jan 6, 2025. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i1.99884
Assessing healthcare workers’ knowledge and confidence in the diagnosis, management and prevention of Monkeypox
Epipode Ntawuyamara, Bina Bhandari, Yan-Hua Liang, Department of Dermatology, Cosmetology and Venereology, Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong Province, China
Epipode Ntawuyamara, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Kamenge Teaching Hospital, University of Burundi, Bujumbura 1020, Burundi
Thierry Ingabire, Department of Infectious Diseases, Kamenge Teaching Hospital, University of Burundi, Bujumbura 1020, Burundi
Innocent Yandemye, General Directorate of Healthcare Supply, Modern and Traditional Medicine, Nutrition and Registration, Ministry of Public Health and Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Bujumbura 1055, Burundi
Polycarpe Ndayikeza, Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health, Bujumbura 350, Burundi
Polycarpe Ndayikeza, General Directorate of Planification, Ministry of Public Health and Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Bujumbura 1055, Burundi
ORCID number: Epipode Ntawuyamara (0000-0001-5954-4537); Thierry Ingabire (0000-0002-3349-6271); Innocent Yandemye (0000-0002-6748-7381); Polycarpe Ndayikeza (0009-0009-3846-4779); Bina Bhandari (0009-0003-0011-6118); Yan-Hua Liang (0009-0007-3144-5837).
Author contributions: Ntawuyamara E and Ingabire T performed conceptualization and manuscript writing; Yandemye I analyzed data; Ndayiza P and Bhandari B wrote methodology; Liang YH supervised all research activities. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by Kamenge Teaching Hospital of University of Burundi Review Board (No. FM/CE 04/2023).
Informed consent statement: All study participants provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare that no conflict of interest exists.
Data sharing statement: Technical appendix, statistical code, and dataset available from the corresponding author at liangdoctor@163.com. Consent for data sharing was not obtained from the participants but the presented data are anonymized and risk of identification is low.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yan-Hua Liang, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Dermatology, Cosmetology and Venereology, Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University, No. 1333 Xinhu Road, Shenzhen 518101, Guangdong Province, China. liangdoctor@163.com
Received: August 1, 2024
Revised: September 19, 2024
Accepted: October 23, 2024
Published online: January 6, 2025
Processing time: 97 Days and 13 Hours

Abstract
BACKGROUND

Monkeypox (Mpox), is a disease of global public health concern, as it does not affect only countries in western and central Africa.

AIM

To assess Burundi healthcare workers (HCWs)s’ level of knowledge and confidence in the diagnosis and management of Mpox.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study via an online survey designed mainly from the World Health Organization course distributed among Burundi HCWs from June-July 2023. The questionnaire comprises 8 socioprofessional-related questions, 22 questions about Mpox disease knowledge, and 3 questions to assess confidence in Mpox diagnosis and management. The data were analyzed via SPSS software version 25.0. A P value < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.

RESULTS

The study sample comprised 471 HCWs who were mainly medical doctors (63.9%) and nurses (30.1%). None of the 22 questions concerning Mpox knowledge had at least 50% correct responses. A very low number of HCWs (17.4%) knew that Mpox has a vaccine. The confidence level to diagnose (21.20%), treat (18.00%) or prevent (23.30%) Mpox was low among HCWs. The confidence level in the diagnosis of Mpox was associated with the HCWs’ age (P value = 0.009), sex (P value < 0.001), work experience (P value = 0.002), and residence (P value < 0.001). The confidence level to treat Mpox was significantly associated with the HCWs’ age (P value = 0.050), sex (P value < 0.001), education (P value = 0.033) and occupation (P value = 0.005). The confidence level to prevent Mpox was associated with the HCWs’ education (P value < 0.001), work experience (P value = 0.002), residence (P value < 0.001) and type of work institution (P value = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that HCWs have the lowest level of knowledge regarding Mpox and a lack of confidence in the ability to diagnose, treat or prevent it. There is an urgent need to organize continuing medical education programs on Mpox epidemiology and preparedness for Burundi HCWs. We encourage future researchers to assess potential hesitancy toward Mpox vaccination and its associated factors.

Key Words: Monkeypox; Public health emergency of international concern; Healthcare workers; Epidemic; Preparedness; Knowledge; Confidence

Core Tip: On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization director-general declared that the upsurge of Monkeypox (Mpox) cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and in Africa constitute a public health emergency of international concern. Burundi, which borders the DRC to the east, declared a Mpox outbreak on July 25, 2024 and had just over 500 confirmed cases of Mpox, classifying Burundi as the second most affected country in Africa after the DRC. This study revealed that Burundi healthcare workers have the lowest level of knowledge regarding Mpox and a lack of confidence in the ability to diagnose, treat or prevent Mpox.



INTRODUCTION

Monkeypox (Mpox) is a viral zoonosis with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients[1]. Mpox primarily occurs in central and western Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and has increasingly appeared in urban areas. Mpox was discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in group of monkeys in a lab. Despite being named “monkeypox,” the source of the disease remains unknown. The first human case of Mpox was recorded in 1970, and the first Mpox outbreak outside Africa occurred in 2003[2]. Cases were also documented in the United States of America and was linked to contact with infected pet prairie dogs[3].

Mpox was also reported in travelers from Nigeria to Israel in September 2018, to the United Kingdom in September 2018, December 2019, May 2021 and May 2022, to Singapore in May 2019, and to the United States of America in July and November 2021[4]. In China, an Mpox epidemic was declared on September 16, 2022, when an imported case was found in Chongqing Municipality[5]. In May 2022, multiple cases of Mpox were identified in several nonendemic countries. Since January 2023, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reported more than 22000 suspected cases of Mpox and 1200 deaths[6]. On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general declared that the increase in Mpox in the DRC and the increasing number of countries in Africa constitute a public health emergency of international concern under the International Health Regulations[7]. Burundi, which borders the DRC to the East, declared an Mpox outbreak on July 25, 2024. By September 13, 2024, Burundi had 516 Mpox confirmed cases, classifying it as the second most affected country in Africa after the DRC[8]. Mpox is a disease of global public health importance, as it affects not only countries in western and central Africa but also the rest of the world.

Burundi is located in the East African Community (EAC), a region with a tropical climate where some epidemics begin. It shares borders with DRC, Tanzania and Rwanda, which have faced many viral epidemics of Ebola, Marburg fever, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Mpox[9,10]. Burundi has a fragile health system and is facing an enormous burden of infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C and the most recent strain of COVID-19. Currently, it is facing an outbreak of cholera, and poliomyelitis outbreaks were announced more than 30 years ago[11,12]. Considering the important role played by healthcare workers (HCWs) in mitigating and preventing emerging diseases and outbreaks, we aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge and confidence that physicians and nurses have in diagnosing, treating, and managing Mpox.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study design

We conducted a cross-sectional study in which an online questionnaire was distributed to assess Mpox knowledge and confidence levels in the management of Mpox among HCWs in Burundi. An online survey with questions designed mainly from the WHO course “Mpox: Epidemiology, preparedness and response for African outbreak contexts” was conducted among Burundian HCWs from June-July 2023. The occupational categories that fit our definition of HCWs include medical doctor (MD), allied professions (laboratory, radiology technicians, physiotherapists, anesthesiologists, and pharmacists), nurses and midwives.

Population and sample size calculation

We used diverse authors’ professional backgrounds to guarantee a representative sample that covers different healthcare groups. The sample size (n) was calculated according to the formula[13].

n = [z2 × p × (1 - p)/e2]/[1 + (z2 × p × (1 - p)/(e2 × N))] where Z = 1.96 for a confidence level (α) of 95%, p = proportion (expressed as a decimal), N = population size, e = margin of error. Overall, we collected data from a total sample of 471 HWCs, including 301 MDs, 128 HWCs from allied professions, and 142 nurses and midwives.

Data collection and analysis

A questionnaire translated into French, the official language in Burundi, was distributed online via the Kobo toolbox. The questionnaire comprises 8 socioprofessional-related items, 22 questions about Mpox disease knowledge, and 3 questions to assess confidence in Mpox management (Supplementary material). Participants were required to answer all questions to avoid item nonresponse bias. We used a random sampling method based on chain referrals that targeted mainly HCW groups online. To maximize the chance of questionnaire distribution and avoid selection bias, we started with the authors’ contacts and other online platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and direct messaging on WhatsApp, Gmail and Messenger. The last method helped to include a large number of older HCWs who may be not comfortable with online surveys. We analyzed the data via IBM SPSS, version 25.0. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were used as appropriate. The statistical significance level was set at a P value < 0.05.

RESULTS

The study participants were mainly male (83.7%) and relatively young, with 72.6% being under 40 years old. They are mainly MDs (63.9%) and nurses (30.1%) working in the capital (60.9%). Many of them work in public health facilities (63.3%) (Table 1).

Table 1 Socio-professional characteristics of Burundi healthcare workers.
Variable
Frequency
Percentage (%)
GenderFemale7716.3
Male39483.7
Age (years)< 4034272.6
≥ 4012927.4
Experience in (years)≤ 516535.03
> 530664.97
ResidenceCapital28760.9
Out of capital18439.1
ProfessionNurses and midwives14230.1
Allied professions285.9
Medical doctor30163.9
AffiliationClinical facility29863.3
Administrative facility17336.7
Health facility typePublic 35274.7
Private 6614.0
NGO5311.3
Education levelSecondary6012.7
Graduate31065.8
Postgraduate10121.4

None of the 22 questions concerning Mpox knowledge had at least 50% correct responses. Some questions related to whether Mpox and smallpox have similar signs and symptoms received a high percentage of incorrect responses (71.8%). Many participants in this study were not aware of Mpox vaccination (74.3%) or of how Mpox specimens are transported after sampling (58.6%), as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1
Figure 1 Knowledge level of Burundi healthcare workers about mpox per item. A: Knowledge on mpox history and transmission; B: Knowledge on mpox diagnosis, treatment and vaccination.

The confidence level to diagnose (21.20%), treat (18.00%) or prevent (23.30%) Mpox was low among Burundi HCWs (Figure 2).

Figure 2
Figure 2 Confidence level to diagnose, treat or prevent mpox among Burundi healthcare workers.

Overall, confidence in diagnosing, treating or preventing Mpox was greater in young (< 40 years old) HCWs than in HCWs who were more than 40 years old (17.3% vs 3.6% for diagnosis, 14.6% vs 3.4% for treatment and 17.6% vs 4.7% for prevention).

As shown in Table 2, the confidence level in diagnosing Mpox was associated with the HCWs’ age (χ2 = 6.889, P value = 0.009), sex (χ2 = 12.603; P value < 0.001), work experience (χ2 = 9.381; P value = 0.002), and residence (χ2 = 13.766; P value < 0.001). The confidence level in managing Mpox was significantly associated with the HCWs’ age (χ2 = 3.826; P = 0.050), sex (χ2 = 18.025; P value < 0.001), education (χ2 = 6.833; P value = 0.033) and occupation (χ2 = 10.723; P value = 0.005). The confidence level in preventing Mpox was significantly associated with the HCWs’ education (χ2 = 18.396; P value < 0.001), work experience (χ2 = 9.406; P value = 0.002), residence (χ2 = 14.913; P value < 0.001) and type of work institution (χ2 = 11.889; P value = 0.003).

Table 2 Correlation analysis of factors associated to confidence level to diagnose, treat or prevent mpox among Burundi healthcare workers.
VariablesConfidence to diagnose
Confidence to treat
Confidence to prevent
No n (%)
Yes n (%)
No n (%)
Yes n (%)
No n (%)
Yes n (%)
Age< 40259 (55.0)83 (17.3)273 (58.0)69 (14.6)259 (55.0)83 (17.6)
≥ 40112 (23.8)17 (3.6)113 (24.0)16 (3.4)107 (22.7)22 (4.7)
χ2 = 6.889; aP = 0.009χ2 = 3.826; aP = 0.050χ2 = 2.815; P = 0.093
EducationSecondary50 (10.5)10 (2.1)42 (8.9)18 (3.8)52 (11.0)8 (1.7)
Graduate239 (50.7)71 (15.1)258 (54.8)52 (11)251 (53.3)59 (12.5)
Postgraduate82 (17.4)19 (4.0)86 (22.3)15 (17.6)63 (17.2)38 (21.4)
χ2 = 1.619; P = 0.445χ2 = 6.833; aP = 0.033χ2 = 18.396; aP < 0.001
OccupationNurse114 (24.2)28 (5.9)110 (23.4)32 (6.8)115 (24.4)27 (5.7)
AS17 (3.6)11 (23.0)18 (3.8)10 (2.1)18 (3.8)10 (2.1)
MD240 (51.0)61 (13.0)258 (54.8)43 (9.1)233 (49.5)68 (14.4)
χ2 = 5.820; P = 0.054χ2 = 10.723; aP = 0.005χ2 = 3.108; P = 0.149
Experience≤ 5 years117 (24.8)48 (10.2)135 (28.7)30 (6.4)115 (24.4)50 (10.6)
> 5 years 254 (53.9)52 (11.0)251 (53.3)55 (11.7)251 (53.3)55 (11.7)
χ2 = 9.381; aP = 0.002χ2 = 0.003; P = 0.955χ2 = 9.406; aP = 0.002
GenderFemale49 (10.4)28 (5.9)50 (10.6)27 (5.7)61 (13.0)16 (3.4)
Male322 (68.4)72 (15.3)336 (71.3)58 (12.3)305 (64.8)89 (18.9)
χ2 = 12.603; aP < 0.001χ2 = 18.025; aP < 0.001χ2 = 0.122; P = 0.727
ResidenceCapital210 (44.6)77 (16.3)230 (48.8)57 (12.1)206 (43.7)81 (17.2)
Out capital161 (34.2)23 (4.9)156 (33.1)28 (5.9)160 (34.0)24 (5.1)
χ2 = 13.766; aP < 0.001χ2 = 1.634; P = 0.201χ2 = 14.913; aP < 0.001
AffiliationClinical facility237 (50.3)61 (13.0)240 (51.0)58 (12.3)233 (49.5)65 (13.8)
Administrative134 (28.5)39 (8.3)146 (31.0)27 (5.7)133 (28.2)40 (8.5)
χ2 = 0.281; P = 0.596χ2 = 1.100; P = 0.294χ2 = 0.108; P = 0.742
InstitutionPublic 283 (60.1)69 (14.6)286 (60.7)66 (14.0)260 (55.2)92 (19.5)
Private48 (10.2)18 (3.8)54 (11.5)12 (2.5)59 (12.5)7 (1.5)
ONGs40 (8.5)13 (2.8)46 (9.8)7 (1.5)47 (10.0)6 (1.3)
χ2 = 2.343; P = 0.310χ2 = 0.958; P = 0.619χ2 = 11.889; aP = 0.003
Total 37110038685366105

All factors that were correlated with confidence in diagnosing, treating or preventing Mpox (P value < 0.05) were included in the binary logistic regression analysis model as explanatory variables, with their corresponding P values, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The confidence in diagnosing Mpox in males was significantly greater than that in females (P = 0.001, OR = 0.350), almost two times greater in AS than in MD (P value = 0.040, OR = 2.827) and two times greater in HCWs from the capital than in those from out of the capital (P value = 0.003, OR = 2.337). The confidence level in treating Mpox was significantly greater in male HCWs than in female HCWs (P value = 0.001, OR = 0.328) and almost three times greater in MD HCWs than in other HCWs (P value = 0.028, OR = 3.118). Additionally, confidence in preventing Mpox was significantly greater in HCWs with postgraduate education levels than in those with other education levels (P value = 0.032, OR = 3.556), in HCWs working in the capital than in those working outside the capital (P value = 0.001, OR = 2.611), in HCWs with more than 5 years of work experience than in those with no more than 5 years of experience (P value = 0.012, OR = 0.514), and in HCWs working in public health institutions than in those working in private or nongovernment health institutions (P value = 0.017, OR = 0.300) (Table 3).

Table 3 Logistic regression analysis model of factors associated to the confidence level to diagnose, treat and prevent mpox.
Independent VariablesDependent variables
Confidence to diagnose
Confidence to treat
Confidence to prevent
P
OR
CI
P
OR
CI
P
OR
CI
Age0.1490.6370.345-0.1760.2750.7030.374-1.3230.4250.7870.436-1.419
Gendera0.0010.3500.186-0.660a0.0010.3280.173-0.6210.9350.9710.480-1.963
Education0.7431.1790.440-3.1580.7890.8550.271-2.701a0.0323.5561.118-11.313
Occupationa0.0402.8271.046-7.39a0.0283.1180.128-8.6150.1650.6320.331-1.208
Residencea0.0032.3371.335-4.0900.1021.6240.909-2.904a0.0012.6111.481-4.605
Experience 0.1170.6600.393-1.1090.7681.0900.614-1.937a0.0120.5140.305-0.864
Affiliation0.9791.0080.557-1.8260.6720.8710.459-1.6520.7991.0750.617-1.873
Institution0.5251.2980.582-2.8960.6080.7780.299-2.026a0.0170.3000.112-0.805

A deep cause analysis of factors that independently influence confidence levels in diagnosing, treating, and preventing Mpox among Burundi HCWs revealed that sex was a significant factor for confidence in both diagnosing and treating Mpox, with males having higher confidence level. Residence in the capital was a strong predictor of confidence in both diagnosing and preventing Mpox. Education level plays a critical role in HCWs’ confidence in preventing Mpox, particularly for those with postgraduate education. Experience and type of institution were important for having confidence in preventing Mpox, with more experienced HCWs and those in public health institutions showing higher confidence levels.

DISCUSSION

Since 2005, thousands of suspected cases of Mpox have been reported in the DRC every year. Before the 2022 outbreak, Mpox was reported in people in several central and western African countries. Previously, almost all Mpox cases in people outside Africa were linked to international travel to countries where the disease commonly occurs or through imported animals. These cases occurred on multiple continents[14]. From January 1, 2022 through November 30, 2023, a cumulative total of 92783 Laboratory-confirmed cases of Mpox, including 171 deaths, were reported to the WHO from 116 countries/territories/areas in all six WHO regions. The DRC is a country in East Africa Community that shares borders with Burundi. A high level of transmission occurs in the country, as reflected by the high number of suspected (clinically compatible) cases reported[15].

Considering the crucial role played by HCWs in the prevention and management of emerging infectious diseases, this study aimed to assess Burundi HCWs’ knowledge of and confidence in diagnosing, treating, and preventing Mpox. It also aimed to understand conspiracy beliefs about emerging viral diseases among Burundi HCWs. The sample included 471 HCWs who were mainly male (83.7%) and relatively young, 72.6% of whom were under 40 years old. Many of them were MDs (63.9%) and nurses (30.1%) working in the capital (60.9%) or public health facilities (63.3%).

To assess the level of knowledge about Mpox, we chose 22 knowledge questions about Mpox epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention from the WHO course on Mpox[16]. None of the 22 questions concerning Mpox knowledge had at least 50% correct responses. Some questions related to whether Mpox and smallpox have similar signs and symptoms received a high percentage of incorrect responses (71.8%). Many participants (74.3%) in this study were not aware of Mpox vaccination or of how Mpox specimens are transported after sampling (58.6%). A similar result was reported by Riccò et al[17] in Italy and Sahin et al[18] in Turkey, stating that knowledge status was quite unsatisfactory, with substantial knowledge gaps in all aspects of Mpox. Our results are revealed even more substantial knowledge gaps compared to the results reported in the Middle East, where four out of 11 Mpox knowledge questions had more than 70% correct responses and 33.3% of the study respondents knew that vaccination is available to prevent Mpox, and those of Dong et al[19] in China, where 53.9% of participants were categorized as having greater knowledge of Mpox. However, the knowledge level in our study was greater than that in the study conducted by Harapan et al[20] in Indonesia, where only 10% of the study respondents had good knowledge of Mpox use. This difference in knowledge level may be because our study was conducted during the Mpox outbreak, which is not the case for the above-cited study. In addition, a very low number of HCWs (17.3%) knew that Mpox had a vaccine. For the prevention of smallpox and Mpox disease in adults 18 years of age and older, who are at high risk for smallpox or Mpox infection, JYNNEOS is an Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine[21,22]. These findings suggest that the JYNNECOS vaccine is effective in preventing Mpox disease and that two doses provide better protection[23].

The confidence level to diagnose, treat or prevent Mpox was generally low among our study participants (21.20%, 18.00%, and 23.30%, respectively). In contrast, it is more common in young HCWs (17.3% vs 3.6% for diagnosis, 14.6% vs 3.4% for treatment and 17.6% vs 4.7% for prevention), although they were born and have lived in the postsmallpox eradication era, with a declining focus on poxviruses in education and training[17,20,24,25]. A low confidence level was also observed in Indonesia by Harapan et al[20]. Only a small percentage (10.1%) of general practitioners had good confidence in the ability to diagnose and treat Mpox in a clinical setting[20]. Confidence level in diagnosing Mpox was associated with the HCWs’ age (χ2 = 6.889, P value = 0.009), sex (χ2 = 12.603; P value < 0.001), work experience (χ2 = 9.381; P value = 0.002), and residence (χ2 = 13.766; P < 0.001). The confidence level in managing Mpox was significantly associated with the HCWs’ age (χ2 = 3.826; P value = 0.050), sex (χ2 = 18.025; P value < 0.001), education (χ2 = 6.833; P value = 0.033) and occupation (χ2 = 10.723; P value = 0.005). The confidence level in preventing Mpox was significantly associated with the HCWs’ education (χ2 = 18.396; P value < 0.001), work experience (χ2 = 9.406; P value = 0.002), residence (χ2 = 14.913; P value < 0.001) and type of work institution (χ2 = 11.889; P value = 0.003). In the studies performed by Sallam et al[26] in Jordan and Harapan et al[20] in Indonesia, low confidence levels in the diagnosis and management of Mpox were attributed to the relatively young age of HCWs, with subsequent lower confidence in medical practice.

We further conducted a logistic regression analysis model of factors associated with confidence level to diagnose, treat and prevent Mpox. Our results revealed that confidence in the ability to diagnose and treat Mpox was significantly greater in males than in females. The confidence level in diagnosing and preventing Mpox was significantly greater in HCWs working in capital than in those working out in capital. This may be due not only to differences in access to medical information but also to the fact that the capital, Bujumbura, directly shares borders with RDCs where Mpox began and faced many Mpox outbreaks[17,27,28]. The confidence in diagnosing Mpox is almost two times greater in medical allied sciences professionals than in MD professionals and nurses (P value = 0.040, OR = 2.827). This is because HCW workers are included in this category and most of them are laboratory technologists who may possess more information on disease laboratory diagnosis, including Mpox. The confidence level for treating Mpox was almost three times greater in the MD than in the other HCWs (P value = 0.028, OR = 3.118). This is related to their occupation, as in the Burundi health system, decisions to treat and treatment protocols are made by the MD. Additionally, the confidence level for preventing Mpox was significantly greater in HCWs with a postgraduate education level than in those with other education levels (P value = 0.032, OR = 3.556), in HCWs working in the capital than in those working outside capital (P value = 0.001, OR = 2.611), in HCWs with more than 5 years of work experience than in those with no more than 5 years of experience (P value = 0.012, OR = 0.514), and in HCWs working in public health institutions than in private or nongovernment health institutions (P value = 0.017, OR = 0.300). This is due to more opportunities to participate in seminars or continuing medical education (CME) that involve HCWs in public health facilities. These seminars are funded by the government itself via the Ministry of Health or its partners, such as the WHO and Family Health International (FHI 360)[27,28]. A previous study has shown that attending conferences and receiving data during CME helps with better confidence acquisition[20,29].

Limitations

Most positive Mpox cases during the 2022/2023 outbreak were identified among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM)[30]. Our study did not analyze conspiracy beliefs among HCWs about GBMSM. This phenomenon should be evaluated further, especially in the EAC region, where it has been shown that stigma for the GBMSM community can have a negative impact on the management of other emerging viral diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and COVID-19[31-33]. Hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine was observed in Burundi, as in other African countries, whereas the Chinese population has demonstrated a willingness to receive the Mpox vaccine[34]. This study evaluated Burundi HCWs’ level of knowledge and confidence in the diagnosis and management of Mpox, which are considerations of subjective perception. We encourage further studies to assess potential hesitancy toward Mpox vaccination and its associated factors as well as objective analysis of the diagnostic and management capacity of Mpox, such as institutional setup, staffing, medical conditions, emergency response, or the fragility of the health system.

CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, this study was conducted in a region that has faced many deadly epidemics of viral diseases, such as Ebola, Marburg, HIV, and COVID-19. The results revealed a low level of knowledge and confidence in the ability to diagnose, treat and prevent Mpox. It will then constitute a first scientific database for researchers, health system partners, and policymakers to prepare EAC and the international community to mitigate an eventual Mpox epidemic. Finally, we encourage future studies to assess potential causes of stigma to populations at high risk of emerging infectious diseases and hesitancy toward Mpox vaccination and its associated factors.

Footnotes

Provenance and peer review: Invited article; Externally peer reviewed.

Peer-review model: Single blind

Specialty type: Medicine, research and experimental

Country of origin: China

Peer-review report’s classification

Scientific Quality: Grade C

Novelty: Grade B

Creativity or Innovation: Grade C

Scientific Significance: Grade B

P-Reviewer: Wang H S-Editor: Qu XL L-Editor: A P-Editor: Cai YX

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