International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Review Exposure to Occupational Hazards among Health Care Workers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review Rajni Rai 1,*, Sonia El-Zaemey 1, Nidup Dorji 2 , Bir Doj Rai 3 and Lin Fritschi 1 1 School of Public Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia;
[email protected] (S.E.-Z.);
[email protected] (L.F.) 2 Faculty of Nursing and Public Health, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan, Thimphu 11001, Bhutan;
[email protected] 3 Regional Livestock Development Centre Wangduephodrang, Wangduephodrang 14001, Bhutan;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +61-4-16090550 Abstract: Health care workers are exposed to numerous workplace hazards. The implementation of safety measures in high-income countries has largely mitigated these risks. However, in many low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), resources to institute safety measures are lacking, increasing the risk of occupational exposures to these hazards. The aim of this scoping review is to map and synthesize the available research on occupational hazards among health care workers in LMICs, identify research gaps and inform policy. Searches for relevant articles were conducted in five electronic databases using a broad range of search terms. The inclusion criteria were: quantitative observational or experimental studies which examined exposure to one or more occupational hazards among health care workers in a LMCI; and the article was published in English in a peer-reviewed journal. A total of 99 studies met the inclusion criteria, and data were extracted from these studies.