Abstract

Use of injections is commonly practiced in both developed and developing countries. However, in developing countries like Tanzania, both public and private health care providers prescribe and administer injections to clients/patients. The private sector in developing countries is on the leading side for several reasons and becomes the main one being economic or financial gains through charging patients who demand or request or need an injection. Injections in Tanzania are believed by clients/patients or consumers to work fast or better or more effective than oral medications/tablets. This belief is based on the pharmacological advantage of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of injectables versus oral medications/tablets. Despite the curative advantage injections have in a human body, these injections must be administered by qualified personnel in our health facilities applying both aseptic and sterile techniques in order to minimize/prevent trauma which may lead to paralysis after damaging sciatic nerve to gluteal muscle, nerve to deltoid muscle, continuous bleeding in individuals with bleeding disorders such as haemophilia, or thrombocytopenia, and spread of infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, C, poliomyelitis, osteomyelitis and other abscesses. Thus, there is a need to institute educational interventions targeting all the three levels i.e. health care providers (clinicians and nurses) in public and private facilities, clients/patients or consumers of care who attend in these facilities and not forgetting injection drug users and traditional healers/practitioners from the informal health sector in our society.

Authors and Affiliations