Healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices towards people living with HIV in the low-and middle-income member states of the Pacific community: A scoping review of the literature

Renee Strotton; Matt Mason; Naomi Howell; Margaret Leong; Akisi Ravono; Peta-Anne Zimmerman

doi:10.1016/j.idh.2026.100457

Back

Healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices towards people living with HIV in the low-and middle-income member states of the Pacific community: A scoping review of the literature

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices towards people living with HIV in the low-and middle-income member states of the Pacific community: A scoping review of the literature

Renee Strotton, Matt Mason, Naomi Howell, Margaret Leong, Akisi Ravono and Peta-Anne Zimmerman

Infection, Disease & Health, Vol.31(4), pp.1-12

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idh.2026.100457

PMID: 42612600

Files and links (1)

pdf

1-s2.0-S2468045126000519-main938.00 kBDownload View

Published Version Open Access CC BY V4.0

Abstract

Health services and systems not elsewhere classified

Public health not elsewhere classified

Provision of health and support services not elsewhere classified

Public health (excl. specific population health) not elsewhere classified

Pacific Peoples health not elsewhere classified

Attitudes

Healthcare worker

HIV

Knowledge

Pacific Islands

Practice

Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission continues to be a global public health concern, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income (LMI) countries. Although Pacific Island countries have historically reported low HIV prevalence, both Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Fiji have experienced increasing HIV transmission rates since 2010. In January 2025, the Government of Fiji officially declared an HIV outbreak, following a 300% increase in new cases during 2024 (UNAIDS, 2025a). This outbreak poses a significant threat to the broader Pacific region, highlighting the requirement for a coordinated response to decrease disease transmission (Pacific Heads of Health, 2025). This scoping review aims to examine the evidence on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of healthcare workers (HCWs) in LMI Pacific Island countries toward people living with HIV (PLWH) to better inform policy and identify research gaps. Methods A scoping review of the literature was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework (2005), guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist (Page et al., 2021). A systematic search of six databases and grey literature sources was conducted. Results The initial search identified 111 articles. Following the title and abstract screen and full article review by two independent researchers, a total of seven articles met the inclusion criteria. Data was extracted into a data extraction table, and the quality of evidence was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) (Hong et al., 2018). Conclusion This review highlights a significant gap in recent literature regarding HCWs KAP toward PLWH in Pacific Island communities. The available evidence suggests the need for ongoing professional development to address negative attitudes and practices, enhance HCW safety, and improve the quality of care. The findings provide synthesised evidence to support policy recommendations and emphasise the need for further research.

Details

Title: Healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices towards people living with HIV in the low-and middle-income member states of the Pacific community: A scoping review of the literature
Authors: Renee Strotton (Author) - Gold Coast Health
Matt Mason (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Naomi Howell (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Margaret Leong (Author) - Pacific Community
Akisi Ravono (Author) - University of Fiji
Peta-Anne Zimmerman (Author) - Gold Coast Health
Publication details: Infection, Disease & Health, Vol.31(4), pp.1-12
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.idh.2026.100457
ISSN: 2468-0869
PMID: 42612600
Copyright note: (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Organisation Unit: Healthy Ageing Research Cluster; Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Health - Nursing
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991252797302621
Output Type: Journal article

Metrics

1 Record Views