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Tshabalala K, Rispel LC. Piercing the veil on the functioning and effectiveness of district health system governance structures: perspectives from a South African province. Health Res Policy Syst 2023; 21:89. [PMID: 37653433 PMCID: PMC10469879 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-023-01044-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leadership and governance are critical for achieving universal health coverage (UHC). In South Africa, aspirations for UHC are expressed through the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) system, which underscores the importance of primary health care, delivered through the district health system (DHS). Consequently, the aim of this study was to determine the existence of legislated District Health Councils (DHCs) in Gauteng Province (GP), and the perceptions of council members on the functioning and effectiveness of these structures. METHODS This was a mixed-methods, cross-sectional study in GP's five districts. The population of interest was members of existing governance structures who completed an electronic-self-administered questionnaire (SAQ). Using a seven-point Likert scale, the SAQ focuses on members' perceptions on the functioning and effectiveness of the governance structures. In-depth interviews with the chairpersons of the DHCs and its technical committees complemented the survey. STATA® 13 and thematic analysis were used to analyze the survey data and interviews respectively. RESULTS Only three districts had constituted DHCs. The survey response rate was 73%. The mean score for perceived functioning of the structures was 4.5 (SD = 0.7) and 4.8. (SD = 0.7) for perceived effectiveness. The interviews found that a collaborative district health development approach facilitated governance. In contrast, fraught inter-governmental relations fueled by the complexity of governing across two spheres of government, political differences, and contestations over limited resources constrained DHS governance. Both the survey and interviews identified gaps in accountability to communities. CONCLUSION In light of South Africa's move toward NHI, strengthening DHS governance is imperative. The governance gaps identified need to be addressed to ensure support for the implementation of UHC reforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khanyisile Tshabalala
- Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, 31 Bophelo Rd, Prinshof, Pretoria, South Africa.
- Department of Community Health, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 27 St Andrew's Road, Parktown, 2193, South Africa.
| | - Laetitia C Rispel
- Centre for Health Policy & South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 27 St Andrew's Road, Parktown, 2193, South Africa
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Olaoye A, Onyenankeya K. A systematic review of health communication strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa-2015-2022. Health Promot Perspect 2023; 13:10-20. [PMID: 37309431 PMCID: PMC10257569 DOI: 10.34172/hpp.2023.02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Health communication strategies have become critical in managing public health issues across sub-Saharan Africa. In the literature, health communication strategies have been well documented. The studies are often narrow, focusing on individual countries or specific health issues. No research documented and consolidated the health communication strategies across sub-Saharan Africa. This review attempts to catalogue prevalent health communication strategies, how the various countries have implemented these strategies and the barriers to effective health communication practices in Africa. Methods: We systematically reviewed existing literature on health communication strategies in sub-Saharan Africa to answer formulated questions. A Google search was performed in October 2022 with the keywords 'health communication', 'strategies', 'promotion,' 'education,' and 'engagement,' The data reported in this article included evidence published between 2013 and 2023. Selected documents were content analyzed, and significant sections were mapped against specific strategies/themes. These subsets of data were used to present the results and analysis. Results:The review indicates that different health communication strategies have been deployed across Africa. In some countries, specific strategies are used to tackle specific health issues, while a combination of strategies is used in others. In some countries, the strategies are unclear, and implementation is improvised, sometimes misapplied, or truncated by bureaucratic red tape and incompetence. The prevalent strategies are mainly those prescribed from outside with little input from the beneficiaries. Conclusion: The review suggests that using a holistic or multi-pronged health communication approach that is context-specific and participatory could attract more uptakes of health messages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adewale Olaoye
- University of Fort Hare, Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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Karuga R, Dieleman M, Mbindyo P, Ozano K, Wairiuko J, Broerse JEW, Kok M. Community participation in the health system: analyzing the implementation of community health committee policies in Kenya. Prim Health Care Res Dev 2023; 24:e33. [PMID: 37114463 PMCID: PMC10156468 DOI: 10.1017/s1463423623000208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Community health committees (CHCs) are a mechanism for communities to voluntarily participate in making decisions and providing oversight of the delivery of community health services. For CHCs to succeed, governments need to implement policies that promote community participation. Our research aimed to analyze factors influencing the implementation of CHC-related policies in Kenya. METHODS Using a qualitative study design, we extracted data from policy documents and conducted 12 key informant interviews with health workers and health managers in two counties (rural and urban) and the national Ministry of Health. We applied content analysis for both the policy documents and interview transcripts and summarized the factors that influenced the implementation of CHC-related policies. FINDINGS Since the inception of the community health strategy, the roles of CHCs in community participation have been consistently vague. Primary health workers found the policy content related to CHCs challenging to translate into practice. They also had an inadequate understanding of the roles of CHCs, partly because policy content was not adequately disseminated at the primary healthcare level. It emerged that actors involved in organizing and providing community health services did not perceive CHCs as valuable mechanisms for community participation. County governments did not allocate funds to support CHC activities, and policies focused more on incentivizing community health volunteers (CHVs) who, unlike CHCs, provide health services at the household level. CHVs are incorporated in CHCs. CONCLUSION Kenya's community health policy inadvertently created role conflict and competition for resources and recognition between community health workers involved in service delivery and those involved in overseeing community health services. Community health policies and related bills need to clearly define the roles of CHCs. County governments can promote the implementation of CHC policies by including CHCs in the agenda during the annual review of performance in the health sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robinson Karuga
- LVCT Health, Nairobi, Kenya
- Athena Institute, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Patrick Mbindyo
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Kim Ozano
- The SCL Agency, Five Fords Gate, Wrexham, Wales, UK
| | - Judy Wairiuko
- Directorate of Preventive and Promotive Health, Nairobi City County, City Hall Way, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Maryse Kok
- KIT Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Tchouchu E, Ahenkan A. Towards a successful implementation of environmental sanitation policy in Ghana: An assessment of key impeding factors. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13670. [PMID: 36873519 PMCID: PMC9976309 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental sanitation policy implementation is a vital factor that ensures that citizens are kept healthy and productive. The study sought to assess key factors impeding the implementation of environmental sanitation policy in Ghana. Using an explanatory design, a sample of 384 respondents was selected from the population of Accra through a simple random sampling technique. The questionnaire was the main instrument used to collect the data. The Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyse the hypothesised path models. Based on the results, government approach, community representation, and lack of citizens' commitment were found to be statistically significant. The study also revealed that the government approach partially mediated the relationship between community representation and environmental sanitation policy implementation, and lack of citizens' commitment and environmental sanitation policy implementation. The study has contributed to knowledge in the research endeavour by demonstrating that the implementation of public policy can easily be realised when the government uses the right approach in involving its citizens in policy decision-making and enhance their commitment to policy implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Tchouchu
- Department of Management, School of Business, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Albert Ahenkan
- Department of Public Administration and Policy Management, University of Ghana Business School, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
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D’Ambruoso L, Mabetha D, Twine R, van der Merwe M, Hove J, Goosen G, Sigudla J, Witter S. 'Voice needs teeth to have bite'! Expanding community-led multisectoral action-learning to address alcohol and drug abuse in rural South Africa. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 2:e0000323. [PMID: 36962488 PMCID: PMC10022044 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
There is limited operational understanding of multisectoral action in health inclusive of communities as active change agents. The objectives were to: (a) develop community-led action-learning, advancing multisectoral responses for local public health problems; and (b) derive transferrable learning. Participants representing communities, government departments and non-governmental organisations in a rural district in South Africa co-designed the process. Participants identified and problematised local health concerns, coproduced and collectively analysed data, developed and implemented local action, and reflected on and refined the process. Project data were analysed to understand how to expand community-led action across sectors. Community actors identified alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse as a major problem locally, and generated evidence depicting a self-sustaining problem, destructive of communities and disproportionately affecting children and young people. Community and government actors then developed action plans to rebuild community control over AOD harms. Implementation underscored community commitment, but also revealed organisational challenges and highlighted the importance of coordination with government reforms. While the action plan was only partially achieved, new relationships and collective capabilities were built, and the process was recommended for integration into district health planning and review. We created spaces engaging otherwise disconnected stakeholders to build dialogue, evidence, and action. Engagement needed time, space, and a sensitive, inclusive approach. Regular engagement helped develop collaborative mindsets. Credible, actionable information supported engagement. Collectively reflecting on and adapting the process supported aligning to local systems priorities and enabled uptake. The process made gains raising community 'voice' and initiating dialogue with the authorities, giving the voice 'teeth'. Achieving 'bite', however, requires longer-term engagement, formal and sustained connections to the system. Sustaining in highly fluid contexts and connecting to higher levels are likely to be challenging. Regular learning spaces can support development of collaborative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia D’Ambruoso
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Sweden
- Public Health, National Health Service (NHS) Grampian, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Denny Mabetha
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Rhian Twine
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Maria van der Merwe
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa
- Maria van der Merwe Consulting, White River, South Africa
| | - Jennifer Hove
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Jerry Sigudla
- Mpumalanga Department of Health, Mbombela, South Africa
| | - Sophie Witter
- Institute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Bolivar-Vargas M, Alfonso-Sierra E, Bonilla J, Herrera M, Rodriguez H, Villar-Uribe M, Scott K, Mathauer I. How can community participation strengthen a health insurance system? The case of health insurer’s user associations in Colombia. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:bmjgh-2022-009571. [PMID: 36379588 PMCID: PMC9486220 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-009571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Colombia’s universal health coverage programme has enrolled 98% of the population, thereby improving financial protection and health outcomes. The right to participate in the organisation of healthcare is enshrined in the 1991 Colombian Constitution. One participatory mechanism is the legal and regulatory provision that citizens can form user associations. This study examines the functionality of health insurance user associations and their influence on citizen empowerment and health insurance responsiveness. Methods The mixed methods study includes document review (n=72), a survey of beneficiaries (n=1311), a survey of user associations members (n=27), as well as interviews (n=19), focus group discussions (n=6) and stakeholder consultations (n=6) with user association members, government officials, and representatives from insurers, the pharmaceutical industry, and patient associations. Analysis used a content–process–context framework to understand how user associations are designed to work according to policy content, how they actually work in terms of coverage, public awareness, membership, and effectiveness, and contextual influences. Findings Colombia’s user associations have a mandate to represent citizens’ interests, enable participation in insurer decision-making, ‘defend users’ and oversee quality services. Insurers are mandated to ensure their enrollees create user associations, but are not required to provide resources to support their work. Thus, we found that user associations had been formed throughout the country, but the public was widely unaware of their existence. Many associations were weak, passive or entirely inactive. Limited market competition and toothless policies about user associations made insurers indifferent to community involvement. Conclusion Currently, the initiative suffers from low awareness and low participation levels that can hardly lead to empowered enrollees and more responsive health insurance programmes. Yet, most stakeholders value the space to participate and still see potential in the initiative. This warrants a range of policy recommendations to strengthen user associations and truly enable them to effect change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mery Bolivar-Vargas
- Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Janet Bonilla
- Health Nutrition and Population Global Practice, World Bank Group, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Martha Herrera
- Executive Director, Colombian Foundation for Orphan Diseases, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Haydee Rodriguez
- Executive Director, Colombian Foundation for Orphan Diseases, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Manuela Villar-Uribe
- Health Nutrition and Population Global Practice, World Bank Group, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Kerry Scott
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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A Deliberative Rural Community Consultation to Assess Support for Flood Risk Management Policies to Strengthen Resilience in Malawi. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14060874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
As disasters increase in frequency and magnitude with adverse effects on population health, governments will be forced to implement disaster risk management policies that may include forced relocation. Ineffective public consultation has been cited as one reason for failure of these policies. Using the deliberative polling method, this study assessed the capacity of rural communities to participate in flood risk management policy priority setting and the impact of providing accurate and balanced information on policies by comparing pre-and post -deliberation data. The study also assessed the level of trust on whether government and community would use the results of this study. Results indicated strong community support for policy options to reduce vulnerability in communities and strong resistance to relocation. As all the top five ranked policy options were concerned with population pressure, gender, and social service issues, which are all conceptually considered social determinants of a healthy community, this study concludes that public health considerations are central to flood risk policy development and implementation. The study revealed high levels of trust in government and the community relating to flood risk management, which policymakers in low-to-middle income countries can capitalise on for meaningful community consultation for effective disaster risk management.
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Karuga R, Kok M, Luitjens M, Mbindyo P, Broerse JEW, Dieleman M. Participation in primary health care through community-level health committees in Sub-Saharan Africa: a qualitative synthesis. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:359. [PMID: 35183154 PMCID: PMC8858504 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12730-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Health committees are key mechanisms for enabling participation of community members in decision-making on matters related to their health. This paper aims to establish an in-depth understanding of how community members participate in primary health care through health committees in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods We searched peer-reviewed English articles published between 2010 and 2019 in MEDLINE, Popline and CINAHL databases. Articles were eligible if they involved health committees in SSA. Our search yielded 279 articles and 7 duplicates were removed. We further excluded 255 articles following a review of titles and abstracts by two authors. Seventeen abstracts were eligible for full text review. After reviewing the full-text, we further excluded two articles that did not explicitly describe the role of health committees in community participation. We therefore included 15 articles in this review. Two authors extracted data on how health committees contributed to community participation in SSA using a conceptual framework for assessing community participation in health. We derived our themes from five process indicators in this framework, namely, leadership, management and planning, resource mobilization from external sources, monitoring and evaluation and women involvement. Findings We found that health committees work well in voicing communities’ concerns about the quality of care provided by health facility staff, day-to-day management of health facilities and mobilizing financial and non-financial resources for health activities and projects. Health committees held health workers accountable by monitoring absenteeism, quality of services and expenditures in health facilities. Health committees lacked legitimacy because selection procedures were often not transparent and participatory. Committee members were left out in planning and budgeting processes by health workers, who perceived them as insufficiently educated and trained to take part in planning. Most health committees were male-dominated, thus limiting participation by women. Conclusion Health committees contribute to community participation through holding primary health workers accountable, voicing their communities’ concern and mobilizing resources for health activities and projects. Decision makers, health managers and advocates need to fundamentally rethink how health committees are selected, empowered and supported to implement their roles and responsibilities. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-12730-y.
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O'Connor AM, Seunik M, Radi B, Matthyse L, Gable L, Huffstetler HE, Meier BM. Transcending the Gender Binary under International Law: Advancing Health-Related Human Rights for Trans* Populations. THE JOURNAL OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS : A JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS 2022; 50:409-424. [PMID: 36398651 PMCID: PMC9679587 DOI: 10.1017/jme.2022.84] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Despite a recent wave in global recognition of the rights of transgender and gender-diverse populations, referred to in this text by the umbrella label of trans*, international law continues to presume a cisgender binary definition of gender - dismissing the lived realities of trans* individuals throughout the world. This gap in international legal recognition and protection has fundamental implications for health, where trans* persons have been and continue to be subjected to widespread discrimination in health care, longstanding neglect of health needs, and significant violations of bodily autonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Blas Radi
- UNIVERSITY OF BUENOS AIRES, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
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Hove J, D’Ambruoso L, Kahn K, Witter S, van der Merwe M, Mabetha D, Tembo K, Twine R. Lessons from community participation in primary health care and water resource governance in South Africa: a narrative review. Glob Health Action 2022; 15:2004730. [PMID: 34994680 PMCID: PMC8745361 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2021.2004730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In South Africa, community participation has been embraced through the development of progressive policies to address past inequities. However, limited information is available to understand community involvement in priority setting, planning and decision-making in the development and implementation of public services. OBJECTIVE This narrative review aims to provide evidence on forms, extents, contexts and dynamics of community participation in primary health care (PHC) and water governance in South Africa and draw cross-cutting lessons. This paper focuses on health and water governance structures, such as health committees, Catchment Management Agencies (CMA), Water User Associations (WUAs), Irrigation Boards (IBs) and Community Management Forums (CMFs). METHODS Articles were sourced from Medline (Ovid), EMBASE, Google Scholar, Web of Science, WHO Global Health Library, Global Health and Science Citation Index between 1994 and 2020 reporting on community participation in health and water governance in South Africa. Databases were searched using key terms to identify relevant research articles and grey literature. Twenty-one articles were included and analysed thematically. RESULTS There is limited evidence on how health committees are functioning in all provinces in South Africa. Existing evidence shows that health committees are not functioning effectively due to lack of clarity on roles, autonomy, power, support, and capacity. There was slow progress in establishment of water governance structures, although these are autonomous and have mechanisms for democratic control, unlike health committees. Participation in CMAs/WUAs/IBs/CMFs is also not effective due to manipulation of spaces by elites, lack of capacity of previously disadvantaged individuals, inadequate incentives, and low commitment to the process by stakeholders. CONCLUSION Power and authority in decision-making, resources and accountability are key for effective community participation of marginalized people. Practical guidance is urgently required on how mandated participatory governance structures can be sustained and linked to wider governance systems to improve service delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Hove
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science (Achds) Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Lucia D’Ambruoso
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science (Achds) Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Public Health/Health Protection, National Health Service (NHS) Grampian, Scotland, UK
| | - Kathleen Kahn
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (Indepth), Accra, Ghana
| | - Sophie Witter
- Institute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maria van der Merwe
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science (Achds) Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
- Independent Consultant, White river, South Africa
| | - Denny Mabetha
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science (Achds) Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Rhian Twine
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Simen-Kapeu A, Reserva ME, Ekpini RE. Galvanizing Action on Primary Health Care: Analyzing Bottlenecks and Strategies to Strengthen Community Health Systems in West and Central Africa. GLOBAL HEALTH, SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021; 9:S47-S64. [PMID: 33727320 PMCID: PMC7971379 DOI: 10.9745/ghsp-d-20-00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The renewed commitment to primary health care (PHC) presents an opportunity to strengthen health systems in West and Central Africa (WCA). Though evidence-based cost-effective interventions that are predicted to prevent up to one-third of maternal, newborn, and child health complications and deaths with universal coverage have been identified, more than 50% of people living in rural areas or from poor families still do not have access to these interventions in resource-constrained settings. METHODS We conducted a multicountry systematic analysis of bottlenecks and proposed solutions to strengthen community health systems through a series of collaborative workshops in 22 countries in WCA. Countries were categorized by their under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) to assess specificities related to reported challenges. We also reviewed existing data on selected health system tracer interventions to analyze country profiles. RESULTS The bottlenecks identified as severe or very severe were related to health financing (19 countries, 86%), essential medical technology and products (16 countries, 73%), integrated health service delivery (14 countries, 64%), and community ownership and partnerships (self-reported by 14 countries, 64%). Only the integrated service delivery was self-reported as a severe challenge by countries with high U5MR. The issue of human resources for community health was one of the least reported challenges. CONCLUSION In WCA, strengthening community health systems as part of PHC revitalization efforts should focus on increasing health financing and innovative investments, strengthening the logistics management system, and fostering community ownership and partnerships. Countries with high U5MR should also reinforce integrated service delivery approaches through innovation. Government actions galvanized by global and regional ongoing initiatives should be sustained to ensure that no one is left behind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Simen-Kapeu
- United Nations Children's Fund, West and Central Regional Office, Dakar, Senegal.
| | | | - Rene Ehounou Ekpini
- United Nations Children's Fund, West and Central Regional Office, Dakar, Senegal
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Oladeinde O, Mabetha D, Twine R, Hove J, Van Der Merwe M, Byass P, Witter S, Kahn K, D'Ambruoso L. Building cooperative learning to address alcohol and other drug abuse in Mpumalanga, South Africa: a participatory action research process. Glob Health Action 2020; 13:1726722. [PMID: 32116156 PMCID: PMC7067166 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2020.1726722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse is a major public health challenge disproportionately affecting marginalised communities. Involving communities in the development of responses can contribute to acceptable solutions. Objectives: To: (1) document forms, processes, and contexts of engaging communities to nominate health concerns and generate new knowledge for action; (2) further build participation in the local health system by reflecting on and adapting the process. Methods: PAR was progressed with 48 community stakeholders across three rural villages in the MRC/Wits Agincourt Health and Socio Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in Mpumalanga, South Africa. A series of workshops explored community-nominated topics, systematised lived experience into shared accounts and considered actions to address problems identified. Photovoice was also used to generate visual evidence. Narrative and visual data were thematically analysed, situated within practice frameworks, and learning and adaption elicited. Results: AOD abuse was identified as a topic of high priority. It was understood as an entrenched social problem with destructive effects. Biopsychosocial impacts were mapped and related to unemployment, poverty, stress, peer pressure, criminal activity, corruption, and a proliferating number of taverns. Integrated action agendas were developed focussed on demand, supply, and harm reduction underpinned by shared responsibility among community, state, and non-state actors. Community stakeholders appreciated systematising and sharing knowledge, taking active roles, developing new skills in planning and public speaking, and progressing shared accountability processes. Expectations required sensitive management, however. Conclusion: There is significant willingness and capacity among community stakeholders to work in partnership with authorities to address priority health concerns. As a process, participation can help to raise and frame issues, which may help to better inform action and encourage shared responsibility. Broader understandings of participation require reference to, and ultimately transfer of power towards, those most directly affected, developing community voice as continuous processes within social and political environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oladapo Oladeinde
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science (ACHDS) Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Denny Mabetha
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Rhian Twine
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jennifer Hove
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Peter Byass
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science (ACHDS) Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.,MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sophie Witter
- Institute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Kathleen Kahn
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lucia D'Ambruoso
- Aberdeen Centre for Health Data Science (ACHDS) Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.,MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Christmals CD, Aidam K. Implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Ghana: Lessons for South Africa and Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2020; 13:1879-1904. [PMID: 33061721 PMCID: PMC7537808 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s245615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND South Africa is having difficulties in rolling out the National Health Insurance(NHI) policy. There are ongoing arguments on whether the NHI will provide access to quality and equitable healthcare it is intended to and whether South Africa is ready to implement the policy. Many stakeholders believe the country needs more preparation if the policy will be successful. Ghana, on the other hand, has successfully implemented the National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS) for over 15 years. OBJECTIVE This paper sought to explore the implementation of the NHIS in Ghana and the lessons South Africa and other low- and middle-income countries can learn from such a process. METHODS A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Brigs Institute's System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information (SUMARI) and Mendeley reference manager to manage the review process. Journal articles published on the NHIS in Ghana from January 2003 to December 2018 were searched from Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Medline using the keywords: Ghana, Health, and Insurance. RESULTS The implementation of the NHIS has provided access to healthcare for the Ghanaian population, especially to poor and vulnerable . Despite the successful implementation of the NHIS in Ghana, the scheme is challenged with poor coverage; poor quality of care; corruption and ineffective governance; poor stakeholder participation; lack of clarity on concepts in the policy; intense political influence; and poor financing. CONCLUSION The marked inequity in the South African health system makes the implementation of the NHI inevitable. The challenges experienced in the implementation of the NHIS in Ghana are not new to the South African healthcare system. South Africa must learn from the experiences of Ghana,a context that shares common socio-cultural and economic factors and disease burden,in order to successfully implement the NHI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christmal Dela Christmals
- Research on the Health Workforce for Equity and Quality, Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Kizito Aidam
- Department of Bacteriology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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Falisse JB, Ntakarutimana L. When information is not power: Community-elected health facility committees and health facility performance indicators. Soc Sci Med 2020; 265:113331. [PMID: 32905968 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Health Facility Committees (HFCs) made of elected community members are often presented as key for improving the delivery of services in primary health-care facilities. They are expected to help Health Facility (HF) staff make decisions that best serve the interests of the population. More recently, Performance-Based Financing (PBF) advocates have also put the HFC at the core of health reform, expecting it to hold HF staff into account for the HF performances and development. In Burundi, a country where PBF is implemented nationwide, a randomised control trial was implemented in 251 health facilities where the HFC had been largely inactive in recent years. A random sample of 168 H FCs was trained on their roles and rights, with a subset also given information about the performance of their HF (using PBF indicators) and the PBF approach in general. The interventions, taking place in 2011-2013, made the HFCs better organised but largely failed to generate any effect on HF management and service delivery. Nested qualitative analysis reveals important tensions between nurses and HFC members that often prevent further change at the HF. In the HFs that received both the training and information interventions, this tension appeared exacerbated: the turnover of chief nurses was significantly higher as the HFCs exerted pressure to remove them. This situation was more likely to happen if the HFC had already received training before the interventions, thereby suggesting that repeated training empowers committees. Overall, the results provide rare rigorous evidence on HFCs, suggesting that more attention needs to be paid to the socio-economic and cultural contexts in which they operate. They also invite to caution when discussing the role of HFCs as a possible watchdog in PBF schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Benoit Falisse
- University of Edinburgh, Centre of African Studies, Chrystal Macmillan Building, 15a George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD, United Kingdom.
| | - Léonard Ntakarutimana
- Institut National de Santé Publique, Avenue de L'Hopital, 3, B.P. 6807, Bujumbura, Burundi.
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15
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Eccleston-Turner M, Brassington I. Rights-Based Approaches to Preventing, Detecting, and Responding to Infectious Disease. INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM 2020; 82. [PMCID: PMC7226904 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-39819-4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Policymakers have come to look to human rights law in framing national health policy and global health governance. Human rights law offers universal frameworks to advance justice in public health, codifying international standards to frame government obligations and facilitate accountability for realising the highest attainable standard of health. Addressing threats to individual dignity as ‘rights violations’ under international law, health-related human rights have evolved dramatically to offer a normative framework for public health.
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McEvoy R, Tierney E, MacFarlane A. 'Participation is integral': understanding the levers and barriers to the implementation of community participation in primary healthcare: a qualitative study using normalisation process theory. BMC Health Serv Res 2019; 19:515. [PMID: 31337391 PMCID: PMC6651937 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4331-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Many international health policies recognise the World Health Organization’s (2008) vision that communities should be involved in shaping primary healthcare services. However, researchers continue to debate definitions, models, and operational challenges to community participation. Furthermore, there has been no use of implementation theory to study how community participation is introduced and embedded in primary healthcare in order to generate insights and transferrable lessons for making this so. Using Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) as a conceptual framework, this qualitative study was designed to explore the levers and barriers to the implementation of community participation in primary healthcare as a routine way of working. Methods We conducted two qualitative studies based on a national Initiative designed to support community participation in primary care in Ireland. We had a combined multi-stakeholder purposeful sample (n = 72), utilising documentary evidence (study 1), semi-structured interviews (studies 1 and 2) and focus groups (study 2). Data generation and analysis were informed by Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) Research Methodology and NPT. Results For many stakeholders, community participation in primary healthcare was a new way of working. Stakeholders did not always have a clear, shared understanding of the aims, objectives and benefits of this way of working and getting involved in a specific project sometimes provided this clarity. Drivers/champions, and strong working partnerships, were considered integral to its initiation and implementation. Participants emphasised the benefits of funding, organisational support, training and networking to enact relevant activities. Health-promoting activities and healthcare consultation/information events were generally successful, but community representation on interdisciplinary Primary Care Teams proved more challenging. Overall, participants were broadly positive about the impacts of community participation, but were concerned about the scope to sustain the work without the ‘protected’ space and resources that the national Initiative afforded. Conclusions Despite the success of specific activities undertaken as part of a community process in Irish primary healthcare, the likelihood of this becoming a routine way of working in Ireland is low. Analysing the learning from this process using NPT provides theoretically informed recommendations that are transferrable to other settings and can be used to prospectively design and formatively evaluate community participation processes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-019-4331-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel McEvoy
- Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
| | - Edel Tierney
- Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Anne MacFarlane
- Professor of Primary Healthcare Research, Graduate Entry Medical School, And Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
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Zwama G, Stuttaford MC, Haricharan HJ, London L. Rights-Based Training Enhancing Engagement of Health Providers With Communities, Cape Metropole, South Africa. FRONTIERS IN SOCIOLOGY 2019; 4:35. [PMID: 33869358 PMCID: PMC8022734 DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2019.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Community participation, the central principle of the primary health care approach, is widely accepted in the governance of health systems. Health Committees (HCs) are community-based structures that can enable communities to participate in the governance of primary health care. Previous research done in the Cape Town Metropole, South Africa, reports that HCs' potential can, however, be limited by a lack of local health providers' (HPs) understanding of HC roles and functions as well as lack of engagement with HCs. This study was the first to evaluate HPs' responsiveness towards HCs following participation in an interactive rights-based training. Thirty-four HPs, from all Cape Metropole health sub-districts, participated in this qualitative training evaluation. Two training groups were observed and participants completed pre- and post-training questionnaires. Semi-structured interviews were held with 10 participants 3-4 months after training. Following training, HPs understood HCs to play an important role in the communication between the local community and HPs. HPs also perceived HCs as able to assist with and improve the quality and accessibility of PHC, as well as the answerability of services to local community needs. HPs expressed intentions to actively engage with the facility's HC and stressed the importance of setting clear roles and responsibilities for all HC members. This training evaluation reveals HPs' willingness to engage with HCs and their desire for skills to achieve this. Moreover, it confirms that HPs are crucial players for the effective functioning of HCs. This evaluation indicates that HPs' increased responsiveness to HCs following training can contribute to tackling the disconnect between service delivery and community needs. Therefore, the training of HPs on HCs potentially promotes the development of needs-responsive PHC and a people-centred health system. The training requires ongoing evaluation as it is extended to other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gimenne Zwama
- Health and Human Rights Programme, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute for Global Health and Development, School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Clasina Stuttaford
- Health and Human Rights Programme, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Health, Social Care and Education, Kingston and St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hanne Jensen Haricharan
- Health and Human Rights Programme, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Leslie London
- Health and Human Rights Programme, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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18
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Hullur N, D'Ambruoso L, Edin K, Wagner RG, Ngobeni S, Kahn K, Tollman S, Byass P. Community perspectives on HIV, violence and health surveillance in rural South Africa: a participatory pilot study. J Glob Health 2018; 6:010406. [PMID: 27231542 PMCID: PMC4871061 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.06.010406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND South Africa faces a complex burden of disease consisting of infectious and non-communicable conditions, injury and interpersonal violence, and maternal and child mortality. Inequalities in income and opportunity push disease burdens towards vulnerable populations, a situation to which the health system struggles to respond. There is an urgent need for health planning to account for the needs of marginalized groups in this context. The study objectives were to develop a process to elicit the perspectives of local communities in the established Agincourt health and socio-demographic surveillance site (HDSS) in rural north-east South Africa on two leading causes of death: HIV/AIDS and violent assault, and on health surveillance as a means to generate information on health in the locality. METHODS Drawing on community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods, three village-based groups of eight participants were convened, with whom a series of discussions were held to identify and define the causes of, treatments for, and problems surrounding, deaths due to HIV/AIDS and violent assault. The surveillance system was also discussed and recommendations generated. The discussion narratives were the main data source, examined using framework analysis. RESULTS The groups identified a range of social and health systems issues including risky sexual health behaviors, entrenched traditional practices, alcohol and substance abuse, unstable relationships, and debt as causative. Participants also explained how compromised patient confidentiality in clinics, insensitive staff, and a biased judicial system were problematic for the treatment and reporting of both conditions. Views on health surveillance were positive. Recommendations to strengthen an already well-functioning system related to maintaining confidentiality and sensitivity, and extending ancillary care obligations. CONCLUSION The discussions provided information not available from other sources on the social and health systems processes through which access to good quality health care is constrained in this setting. On this basis, further CBPR in routine HDSS to extend partnerships between researchers, communities and health authorities to connect evidence with the means for action is underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitya Hullur
- Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Lucia D'Ambruoso
- Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK; Umeå Centre for Global Health Research, Division of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kerstin Edin
- Umeå Centre for Global Health Research, Division of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ryan G Wagner
- Umeå Centre for Global Health Research, Division of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sizzy Ngobeni
- MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Kathleen Kahn
- Umeå Centre for Global Health Research, Division of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; INDEPTH - An International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health, Accra, Ghana
| | - Stephen Tollman
- Umeå Centre for Global Health Research, Division of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; INDEPTH - An International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health, Accra, Ghana
| | - Peter Byass
- Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK; Umeå Centre for Global Health Research, Division of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Lodenstein E, Dieleman M, Gerretsen B, Broerse JEW. Health provider responsiveness to social accountability initiatives in low- and middle-income countries: a realist review. Health Policy Plan 2016; 32:125-140. [PMID: 27375128 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czw089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Social accountability in the health sector has been promoted as a strategy to improve the quality and performance of health providers in low- and middle-income countries. Whether improvements occur, however, depends on the willingness and ability of health providers to respond to societal pressure for better care. This article uses a realist approach to review cases of collective citizen action and advocacy with the aim to identify key mechanisms of provider responsiveness. Purposeful searches for cases were combined with a systematic search in four databases. To be included in the review, the initiatives needed to describe at least one outcome at the level of frontline service provision. Some 37 social accountability initiatives in 15 countries met these criteria. Using a realist approach, retroductive analysis and triangulation of methods and sources were performed to construct Context-Mechanism-Outcome configurations that explain potential pathways to provider responsiveness. The findings suggest that health provider receptivity to citizens' demands for better health care is mediated by health providers' perceptions of the legitimacy of citizen groups and by the extent to which citizen groups provide personal and professional support to health providers. Some citizen groups activated political or formal bureaucratic accountability channels but the effect on provider responsiveness of such strategies was more mixed. Favourable contexts for health provider responsiveness comprise socio-political contexts in which providers self-identify as activists, health system contexts in which health providers depend on citizens' expertise and capacities, and health system contexts where providers have the self-perceived ability to change the system in which they operate. Rather than providing recipes for successful social accountability initiatives, the synthesis proposes a programme theory that can support reflections on the theories of change underpinning social accountability initiatives and interventions to improve the quality of primary health care in different settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsbet Lodenstein
- Athena Institute for Research on Innovation and Communication in Health and Life Sciences (VU University) .,KIT Gender
| | | | | | - Jacqueline E W Broerse
- Athena Institute for Research on Innovation and Communication in Health and Life Sciences (VU University)
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McNeil H, Elliott J, Huson K, Ashbourne J, Heckman G, Walker J, Stolee P. Engaging older adults in healthcare research and planning: a realist synthesis. RESEARCH INVOLVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT 2016; 2:10. [PMID: 29062511 PMCID: PMC5611557 DOI: 10.1186/s40900-016-0022-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
PLAIN ENGLISH SUMMARY The importance of citizen involvement in healthcare research and planning has been widely recognized. There is however, a lack of understanding of how best to engage older adults, Canada's fastest growing segment of the population and biggest users of the healthcare system. We aimed to address this gap by developing an understanding of the engagement of older adults and their caregivers in healthcare research and planning. We conducted a review of available knowledge on engagement in healthcare research and planning with a focus on older adults and their caregivers. A five stage engagement framework emerged from this study that can be used to guide engagement efforts. We are continuing to collaborate with older adults and decision makers to develop and test strategies based on the presented framework. ABSTRACT Background The importance of engaging the community in healthcare research and planning has been widely recognized. Currently however, there is a limited focus on older adults, Canada's fastest growing segment of the population and biggest users of the healthcare system. Objective This project aimed to develop an understanding of engagement of older adults and their caregivers in healthcare research and planning. Method A realist synthesis was conducted of the available knowledge on engagement in healthcare research and planning. The search methodology was informed by a framework for realist syntheses following five phases, including consultations with older adults. The synthesis included theoretical frameworks, and both peer-reviewed and grey literature. Results The search generated 15,683 articles, with 562 focusing on healthcare research and planning. The review lead to the development of a framework to engage older adults and their caregivers in healthcare research and planning. The 5 stages environment, plan, establish, build, and transition are accompanied with example context, mechanism, and outcomes to guide the use of this framework. Conclusion We have identified a framework that promotes meaningful engagement of older adults and their caregivers. We are continuing to collaborate with our community partners to further develop and evaluate engagement strategies that align with the presented framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather McNeil
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
| | - Jacobi Elliott
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
| | - Kelsey Huson
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
- Conestoga College, School of Health & Life Sciences and Community Services, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Jessica Ashbourne
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
| | - George Heckman
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
- Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, Kitchener, ON Canada
| | - Jennifer Walker
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
- School of Human and Social Development, Nipissing University – Muskoka Campus, Bracebridge, ON Canada
| | - Paul Stolee
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 Canada
- Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, Kitchener, ON Canada
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Jahiel RI. A Structural and Conceptual Modification of the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF). Rehabil Process Outcome 2015. [DOI: 10.4137/rpo.s13340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Current criticisms of the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF) are focused on its activity/participation component and on its conceptual basis. I propose structural and conceptual changes. (1) The components would be body structure, body function, intent, actual environment, and participation. (2) Intent would be linked to the concept of self-agency, and its codes would have two qualifiers associating it with capability and strength of willed activity. (3) All activity/participation codes of the original ICF would be moved to the modified ICF's participation component. This component is based on interaction between intent and environment, and it is linked to the concept of joint agency. (4) A new entity, scene setting, represents the sum total of all components' codes involved in a given act of participation. (5) Additional constructs are suggested to elucidate the relations between intent and environment that allow enactment of a given act of participation. The modified ICF is consistent with current concepts of disability and unambiguous in distinctions between body function, activity, and participation. There are no significant alterations in the original ICF codes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene I. Jahiel
- École Libre des Hautes Études, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
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George A, Scott K, Garimella S, Mondal S, Ved R, Sheikh K. Anchoring contextual analysis in health policy and systems research: A narrative review of contextual factors influencing health committees in low and middle income countries. Soc Sci Med 2015; 133:159-67. [PMID: 25875322 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.03.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Health committees, councils or boards (HCs) mediate between communities and health services in many health systems. Despite their widespread prevalence, HC functions vary due to their diversity and complexity, not least because of their context specific nature. We undertook a narrative review to better understand the contextual features relevant to HCs, drawing from Scopus and the internet. We found 390 English language articles from journals and grey literature since 1996 on health committees, councils and boards. After screening with inclusion and exclusion criteria, we focused on 44 articles. Through an iterative process of exploring previous attempts at understanding context in health policy and systems research (HPSR) and the HC literature, we developed a conceptual framework that delineates these contextual factors into four overlapping spheres (community, health facilities, health administration, society) with cross-cutting issues (awareness, trust, benefits, resources, legal mandates, capacity-building, the role of political parties, non-governmental organizations, markets, media, social movements and inequalities). While many attempts at describing context in HPSR result in empty arenas, generic lists or amorphous detail, we suggest anchoring an understanding of context to a conceptual framework specific to the phenomena of interest. By doing so, our review distinguishes between contextual elements that are relatively well understood and those that are not. In addition, our review found that contextual elements are dynamic and porous in nature, influencing HCs but also being influenced by them due to the permeability of HCs. While reforms focus on tangible HC inputs and outputs (training, guidelines, number of meetings held), our review of contextual factors highlights the dynamic relationships and broader structural elements that facilitate and/or hinder the role of health committees in health systems. Such an understanding of context points to its contingent and malleable nature, links it to theorizing in HPSR, and clarifies areas for investigation and action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha George
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kerry Scott
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India.
| | | | | | - Rajani Ved
- National Health Systems Resource Centre, New Delhi, India
| | - Kabir Sheikh
- Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India
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