Abstract:

Background: IPC practices are critical for reducing health care associated infections and safeguarding both patients and health care professionals .Given their future roles, the awareness and attitudes of undergraduate health students toward IPC care pivotal. Despite global efforts, regions like sub Saharan Africa face significant challenges in IPC implementation, in Tanzania IPC practices reported to be suboptimal, and gaps in knowledge among health students have been noted. This study aimed to access current knowledge and attitudes regarding IPC among undergraduate students at CUHAS.

Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students at CUHAS using a self administered online questionnaires. The study targeted a sample size of 246 students determined using Kish-Leslie formula. The questionnaire was adopted from exiting Literature to fit local condition and was analyzed IBM SPSS version 20.Descriptive statistics include percentages, means and frequencies were used

Results: The sample consisted of 254 students, with adverse demographic profile. Most students (95.3%)correctly disagree that IPC is solely about eliminating bacteria ,and 87.85%recognized the necessity of hand hygiene after every patient contact. Knowledge about PPE was varied,with46.9% correctly identifying lab coat and gloves as PPE.Most students (61.4%)knew the recommended hand washing duration is 15-30seconds.High-touch surfaces cleaning and the incorrect hand hygiene technique were 94.9% and 83.9% of students respectively. In attitudes 77.6% considered IPC practices extremely important and 96.9% valued ongoing education on IPC.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that while undergraduate health care students at CUHAS possess a good knowledge regarding IPC practices, findings indicate that while undergraduate health, there is variability in specific areas such as PPE recognition. The high valued placed on IPC practices and ongoing education underscores the need for continuous training. Addressing identified knowledge gaps through targeted interventions could enhance IPC practices and contribute to better health care outcomes in future.