Monkeypox Virus Outbreak 2022: Assessment of Knowledge Among Healthcare Workers in Two Countries—India and Saudi Arabia

Background: Healthcare workers play a crucial role in limiting the spread of the monkeypox virus. Studies show that healthcare worker’s (HCWs) understanding and communication about preventing infectious diseases can inspire various groups of individuals. Objective: This study aimed to compare the knowledge of HCWs in India and Saudi Arabia regarding monkeypox virus infection. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among HCWs in India and Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was developed using information from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites. The validation of the questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.87) was conducted for data collection. The mean scores between different demographic groups were compared using Student’s t ‐test and one‐way ANOVA. Results: A total of 848 participants responded to the questionnaire (India = 424 and Saudi Arabia = 424). The average knowledge score in India was 12.59 ± 2.49, and in Saudi Arabia, it was 13.25 ± 2.99 out of 20. The percentage of participants with good knowledge about monkeypox was 22.2% in India and 36.1% in Saudi Arabia. Participants with poor knowledge about monkeypox constituted 11% in India and 12% in Saudi Arabia. Conclusion: HCWs in both countries had moderate to poor knowledge about the monkeypox outbreak. This might be because monkeypox is not prevalent in these countries. More education is needed to improve HCWs knowledge about monkeypox infection.