Monwabisi Faleni

Dr. Monwabisi Faleni

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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21 January 2023 in Healthcare
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ZNZiphelele Ncane
Ziphelele Ncane
MFMonwabisi Faleni
Monwabisi Faleni
GEGuillermo Alfredo Pulido Estrada
Guillermo Alfredo Pulido Estrada
TATeke Apalata
Teke Apalata
SMSikhumbuzo A. Mabunda
Sikhumbuzo A. Mabunda
SNSIBUSISO CYPRIAN NOMATSHILA
SIBUSISO CYPRIAN NOMATSHILA
Globally, cancer is a leading cause of death, with cervical cancer ranking second among all cancers. Its adversity impacts not only individuals but also families, societies, and governments. The quality of services, as informed by the knowledge and adequacy of the health workers, plays an important role in both prevention, diagnosis, and management of the disease. A cross-sectional study among 108 purposively selected health workers in rural health facilities in the Eastern Cape province was conducted to assess knowledge on cervical cancer and associated risk factors through the use of validated structured questionnaires. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used for analysis, with a 95% confidence interval and a p-value of 0.05 considered significant. A total of 91.7% of the 108 participants were female, and 25% were over the age of 50. A total of 88% and 85.2% indicated sexually transmitted disease and human immunodeficiency virus as major risk factors, respectively. The HPV, pap smear, and vaccination age were known by 64.8%, and vaccine availability was known by 71.3%. Only 40.7% of workers were trained on cervical screening, and 35.2% were trained on the interpretation of pap smear results. An overall knowledge score of 53% was obtained, with more experienced clinicians scoring lower grades. This study identified inadequacies in essential knowledge for successful implementation of cervical cancer services and found that extensive training was needed.