Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices on HIV/AIDS Patient Care among Clinical Medical Students at KIUTH

Globally, HIV-related deaths have fallen, most likely due to the intervention of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART). New HIV infections have fallen by about 35% since 2016, with approximately 180 000 newly infected in 2021, compared to approximately 270 000 in 2016. The study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practices on HIV/AIDS patient care among clinical medical students at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital (KIUTH). Using a questionnaire as a method of data collection, the descriptive study design included both male and female participants from a population of 322 people. The study showed that there was good knowledge of students on HIV patient care, as all the students knew how HIV is diagnosed at an odds ratio of 1.0 (0.5–4.22) and a p-value of 0.05, although 127 (70.6%) of those who had never taken care of people living with HIV didn’t know different HIV ART combinations. The study also showed good student attitudes towards HIV patient care, in which most students were willing to stay near HIV patients and treat them at an odds ratio of 0.7 (0.022–8.05) and a p-value of 0.444, but poor practices, in which only 142 (44.1%) had cared for HIV and 61.7% had never counselled HIV patients at an odds ratio of 1.5 (0.75-7.78) and a p-value of 024. In conclusion, the majority of the participants had knowledge, attitude, and practice of HIV patient care among clinical medical students. The study recommends that medical students should be given health education about patient care so as to increase their knowledge and capacity to look after patients. The study recommends that the government decentralise HIV services to low-level health centres so as to bring services closer to people. The study also recommends that there should be outreach to communities to do voluntary testing and counselling for the population to know the people who could be HIV positive but are not yet tested. Keywords: Assessment, Knowledge, Attitude, Practices, HIV/AIDS Patient, Clinical students.