Occupational hazards among healthcare workers in Tanzania: a scoping review

Abstract

Purpose: The implementation of occupational health and safety (OHS) measures among healthcare workers in Tanzania is suboptimal, mainly due to a lack of adequate resources. This study aimed to map the available research and identify research gaps on occupational hazards among healthcare workers in Tanzania. Methods: A scoping review was conducted by searching relevant articles in MEDLINE, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science electronic databases. A total of 29 studies were included, and the data were extracted from these studies. Results: Healthcare workers in Tanzania are exposed to biological, psychosocial, ergonomics, physical and chemical hazards. The majority of the literature involved biological hazards (71%), and research on other hazards was limited. Conclusion: OHS need to become a priority public health issue to protect healthcare workers in Tanzania. More research is needed to understand the determinants of this problem in Tanzania.