Abstract

Background:
The use of face masks may be difficult for accessibility reasons related to commodity, its cost, its availability and the misinformation or for medical reasons such as adverse effects. However, it is one of the affordable measures to contain the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Although compliance with this barrier measure may be uncomfortable for the general population, there are other reasons related to the refusal of face masks wearing by healthcare professionals.

Aim:
The objective of our study was to evaluate the acceptance of face masks use by healthcare professionals (HCP) during the 5-week training course on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods:
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from September 13 to October 15, 2021 in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. The survey was the method of the study while individual interviews and observation were the study techniques. During the individual interview, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to participants including some points related to observation.

Results:
In this study fifty-eight (58) HCP of ten (10) countries of Sub-Saharan Africa were interviewed. The mean age was 35 ± 0.83 years. Male gender represented 75.86%. The most represented labor classes were medical specialists 31.03%, biologists 29.31% and general practitioners 18.27%. Participants wore the face masks systematically in 56.90% of cases, 34.48% made frequent use of them with an average of 7 hour and 24 minutes of daily wearing, and 58.6% made proper use of the face masks. The breathing difficulty was indicated as the main discomfort of wearing a face mask in this study (46.55%).

Conclusion:
Face mask wearing is generally accepted by HCP during the 5-week training course in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants had a fairly good knowledge of the importance of this preventive measure. Acceptance of face mask wearing appears to be crucial in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. HCP have an important mission to inform and educate patients by showing a good example.

Key words: Acceptance, Face masks, Healthcare professionals, COVID-19, Sub-Saharan Africa