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Khalid K, Schell CO, Oliwa J, English M, Onyango O, Mcknight J, Mkumbo E, Awadh K, Maiba J, Baker T. Hospital readiness for the provision of care to critically ill patients in Tanzania- an in-depth cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:182. [PMID: 38331742 PMCID: PMC10854052 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10616-w] [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: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Critical illness is a state of ill health with vital organ dysfunction, a high risk of imminent death if care is not provided and potential for reversibility. The burden of critical illness is high, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Critical care can be provided as Essential Emergency and Critical Care (EECC)- the effective, low-cost, basic care that all critically ill patients should receive in all parts of all hospitals in the world- and advanced critical care- complex, resource-intensive care usually provided in an intensive care unit. The required resources may be available in the hospital and yet not be ready in the wards for immediate use for critically ill patients. The ward readiness of these resources, although harder to evaluate, is likely more important than their availability in the hospital. This study aimed to assess the ward readiness for EECC and the hospital availability of resources for EECC and for advanced critical care in hospitals in Tanzania. METHODS An in-depth, cross-sectional study was conducted in five purposively selected hospitals by visiting all wards to collect data on all the required 66 EECC and 161 advanced critical care resources. We defined hospital-availability as a resource present in the hospital and ward-readiness as a resource available, functioning, and present in the right place, time and amounts for critically ill patient care in the wards. Data were analyzed to calculate availability and readiness scores as proportions of the resources that were available at hospital level, and ready at ward level respectively. RESULTS Availability of EECC resources in hospitals was 84% and readiness in the wards was 56%. District hospitals had lower readiness scores (less than 50%) than regional and tertiary hospitals. Equipment readiness was highest (65%) while that of guidelines lowest (3%). Availability of advanced critical care resources was 31%. CONCLUSION Hospitals in Tanzania lack readiness for the provision of EECC- the low-cost, life-saving care for critically ill patients. The resources for EECC were available in hospitals, but were not ready for the immediate needs of critically ill patients in the wards. To provide effective EECC to all patients, improvements are needed around the essential, low-cost resources in hospital wards that are essential for decreasing preventable deaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karima Khalid
- Department of Anaesthesia, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
- Department of Anaesthesia, Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
| | - Carl Otto Schell
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Clinical Research Sörmland, Uppsala University, Eskilstuna, Sweden
- Department of Medicine, Nyköping Hospital, Nyköping, Sweden
| | - Jacquie Oliwa
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Health Services Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Mike English
- Health Services Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
- Health Systems Collaborative, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Onesmus Onyango
- Health Services Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jacob Mcknight
- Health Systems Collaborative, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Khamis Awadh
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - John Maiba
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Tim Baker
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Onambele L, Guillen-Aguinaga S, Guillen-Aguinaga L, Ortega-Leon W, Montejo R, Alas-Brun R, Aguinaga-Ontoso E, Aguinaga-Ontoso I, Guillen-Grima F. Trends, Projections, and Regional Disparities of Maternal Mortality in Africa (1990-2030): An ARIMA Forecasting Approach. EPIDEMIOLOGIA 2023; 4:322-351. [PMID: 37754279 PMCID: PMC10528291 DOI: 10.3390/epidemiologia4030032] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
With the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) (2015-2030) focused on the reduction in maternal mortality, monitoring and forecasting maternal mortality rates (MMRs) in regions like Africa is crucial for health strategy planning by policymakers, international organizations, and NGOs. We collected maternal mortality rates per 100,000 births from the World Bank database between 1990 and 2015. Joinpoint regression was applied to assess trends, and the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was used on 1990-2015 data to forecast the MMRs for the next 15 years. We also used the Holt method and the machine-learning Prophet Forecasting Model. The study found a decline in MMRs in Africa with an average annual percentage change (APC) of -2.6% (95% CI -2.7; -2.5). North Africa reported the lowest MMR, while East Africa experienced the sharpest decline. The region-specific ARIMA models predict that the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in 2030 will vary across regions, ranging from 161 deaths per 100,000 births in North Africa to 302 deaths per 100,000 births in Central Africa, averaging 182 per 100,000 births for the continent. Despite the observed decreasing trend in maternal mortality rate (MMR), the MMR in Africa remains relatively high. The results indicate that MMR in Africa will continue to decrease by 2030. However, no region of Africa will likely reach the SDG target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Onambele
- School of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Central Africa, Yaoundé 1110, Cameroon;
| | - Sara Guillen-Aguinaga
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (S.G.-A.); (L.G.-A.); (R.A.-B.)
| | - Laura Guillen-Aguinaga
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (S.G.-A.); (L.G.-A.); (R.A.-B.)
- Department of Nursing, Suldal Sykehjem, 4230 Sands, Norway
| | - Wilfrido Ortega-Leon
- Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, University of Alcala de Henares, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Spain;
| | - Rocio Montejo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 413 46 Gothenburg, Sweden;
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 46 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rosa Alas-Brun
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (S.G.-A.); (L.G.-A.); (R.A.-B.)
| | | | - Ines Aguinaga-Ontoso
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (S.G.-A.); (L.G.-A.); (R.A.-B.)
- Area of Epidemiology and Public Health, Healthcare Research Institute of Navarre (IdiSNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- CIBER in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Institute of Health Carlos III, 46980 Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Guillen-Grima
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (S.G.-A.); (L.G.-A.); (R.A.-B.)
- Area of Epidemiology and Public Health, Healthcare Research Institute of Navarre (IdiSNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- CIBER in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Institute of Health Carlos III, 46980 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
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Malakoane B, Chikobvu P, Heunis C, Kigozi G, Kruger W. Health managers and community representatives' views of a system-wide intervention to strengthen public healthcare in the Free State, South Africa. Afr Health Sci 2023; 23:747-764. [PMID: 37545955 PMCID: PMC10398453 DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v23i1.79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A system-wide health system strengthening (HSS) initiative, the Health Systems Governance and Accountability (HSGA) intervention, was developed, translated to policy, and implemented in the Free State province. This study assessed health managers (HMs) and community representatives' (CRs) views of the intervention and whether it improved integration and performance. Method A questionnaire survey among 147 HMs and 78 CRs and 14 focus group discussions (FGDs) with a mean of 10.3 participants and a total of 102 HMs and 42 CRs, were conducted. The questionnaire and FGD data were descriptively and thematically analysed to triangulate findings. Results Many HMs (44%) mostly positioned at the operational levels indicated that implementation of the HSGA intervention did contribute to integration of health services. Most CRs (54%) believed that communities were actively involved in the intervention. However, both the self-administered questionnaire and the FGD data evidenced lack of policy awareness among, especially, operational-level HMs. Conclusion From the perspectives of HMs and CRs, the implementation of the intervention was viewed as a step forward in strengthening public healthcare to respond to system deficiencies in the Free State province. Earlier engagement of especially operational-level HMs during reforms may be beneficial in successfully implementing HSS interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Malakoane
- Department of Community Health, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein
| | - Perpetual Chikobvu
- Department of Community Health, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein
| | - Christo Heunis
- Centre for Health Systems Research & Development, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein
| | - Gladys Kigozi
- Centre for Health Systems Research & Development, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein
| | - Willem Kruger
- Department of Community Health, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein
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Ntoimo LFC, Ogungbangbe J, Imongan W, Yaya S, Okonofua FE. Assessment of service readiness for maternity care in primary health centres in rural Nigeria: implications for service improvement. Pan Afr Med J 2022; 40:151. [PMID: 34970393 PMCID: PMC8683449 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2021.40.151.25976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction several scientific reports from studies across Nigeria revealed a higher incidence of maternal mortality in rural parts of the country as compared to the urban areas. Part of the reasons is the paucity of health care infrastructure and personnel. This study was designed as part of an intervention program with the goal to improve the access of pregnant women to skilled pregnancy care in rural Nigeria. The specific objective of the study was to determine the nature and readiness of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in two Local Government Areas (LGAs) in rural parts of Edo State, Southern Nigeria to deliver effective maternal and child health services. Methods the study was conducted in 12 randomly selected PHCs in the two LGAs. Data were obtained with a semi-structured questionnaire administered on health workers and through direct observation and verification of the facilities in the PHCs. The results obtained were compared with the national standards established for PHCs in Nigeria by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results the results showed severe deficits in buildings and premises, rooms, medical equipment, essential drugs, and personnel. Only 40% of items recommended by the NPHCDA were available for buildings; 41% of the PHCs had facilities available in the labour ward; while less than 30% had the recommended facilities in the antenatal care rooms. Only one PHC had a laboratory space, with only one item (a dipstick for urine analysis) identified in the laboratory. None of the PHCs had ambulances, mobile phones, internet or computers. There was no nurse/midwife in 4 PHCs; only one nurse/midwife each were available in 8 PHCs; while there was no Environmental/Medical Records Officer in any PHC. About 26% of the essential drugs were not available in the PHCs. Conclusion we conclude that PHCs in Edo State, Nigeria have severe deficits in infrastructural facilities, equipment, essential drugs and personnel for the delivery of maternal and child health care. Efforts to improve these facilities will help increase the quality of delivery of maternal and child health, and therefore reduce maternal and child mortality in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorretta Favour Chizomam Ntoimo
- Women´s Health and Action Research Centre, Benin City, Nigeria.,Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | | | - Wilson Imongan
- Women´s Health and Action Research Centre, Benin City, Nigeria
| | | | - Friday Ebhodaghe Okonofua
- Women´s Health and Action Research Centre, Benin City, Nigeria.,Centre of Excellence in Reproductive Health Innovation (CERHI), University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Benin, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria
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Thwala SBP, Blaauw D, Ssengooba F. 'It needs a complete overhaul…' district manager perspectives on the capacity of the health system to support the delivery of emergency obstetric care in an urban South African district. Glob Health Action 2019; 12:1642644. [PMID: 31362598 PMCID: PMC6711141 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2019.1642644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: A high maternal mortality ratio persists in South Africa despite developments in emergency obstetric care (EmOC), a known effective intervention against direct causes of maternal deaths. Strengthening the health systems is one of the focus areas identified by the National Committee for Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in South Africa. District managers as immediate overseers of the frontline health system are uniquely positioned to provide insight into the overall health system processes that influence the delivery of EmOC. Objective: We sought to identify health system enablers and barriers to the delivery EmOC from the perspective of district managers. This would potentially unearth aspects of the health system that require strengthening to better support EmOC and improve maternal outcomes. Methods: Face-to-face audio-recorded key informant interviews were conducted with 19 district managers in charge of the delivery of EmOC in one urban district. Interviews were transcribed and coded. Related codes were inductively grouped into emerging themes. Deductive thematic analysis was then applied to categorise emergent themes into the WHO health system building blocks. Results: Themes included a weaknesses in the organisation of health services; a high vacancy and turnover of senior management; poor clinical accountability from EmOC providers; inadequate resources (including infrastructure, staffing, and funding); and the need to improve district health information system indicators. Conclusion: The functioning of the district health system was weak, affecting the delivery of EmOC. Unless staffing is effectively addressed, the health system is unlikely to reduce maternal mortality to the desired level. Coordination of EmOC services by managers needs to be strengthened to limit fragmentation of care and improve the continuity EmOC. Furthermore, a high turnover of senior leadership affects implementation priorities and continuity in the overall strategic direction of EmOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siphiwe Bridget Pearl Thwala
- a Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg , South Africa.,b Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Swaziland , Kwaluseni , Swaziland
| | - Duane Blaauw
- a Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg , South Africa
| | - Freddy Ssengooba
- c School of Public Health, Makerere University , Kampala , Uganda
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