1
|
Glenzer MM, Correia M, Nhantumbo V, Barnes RF, Luis E, Boaventura I, Manguele N, Silva P, von Drygalski A. Postpartum hemorrhage in Sub-Saharan Africa-a prospective study in metropolitan Mozambique. J Thromb Haemost 2023; 21:3463-3476. [PMID: 37709148 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtha.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estimates indicate approximately ≈500 to 1000 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (vs ≈5-20 in developed countries). Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) seems a major contributor to maternal mortality (MM), but there are no comprehensive data for the region. OBJECTIVES Analyze MM, PPH, and associated risk factors. METHODS We collected prospective data on MM, PPH, and associated risk factors in metropolitan Mozambique. We recorded consecutive deliveries at the Maputo Central Hospital between February 2019 and January 2021. Data included age, HIV status, parity, delivery mode, notes, vital signs, laboratory values, and fetal parameters. PPH was determined by charted diagnosis, blood loss of >500 mL, transfusion, and/or notes indicating significant bleeding. RESULTS Of 8799 deliveries, ≈40% occurred in women residing outside Maputo City ("nonlocal"), with similar demographic characteristics between local and nonlocal women. However, compared with local women, nonlocal women had worse outcomes, including higher rates of MM (1.52% vs 0.78%; P =.0012) and PPH (16.51% vs 12.39%; P <.0001), whereby PPH was strongly associated with MM (adjusted odds ratio = 5.56; P <.0001). Almost all women with uterine atony (≈1%) experienced PPH. For women receiving laboratory tests on admission (drawn only if in distress; local, n = 561; nonlocal, n = 514), both cohorts revealed similar distributions of hemoglobin levels and platelet counts. Prepartum anemia (≈57%) and thrombocytopenia (≈21%) were prominent risk factors for PPH; risk increased with increasing severity and was additive in the presence of both. CONCLUSIONS PPH is a serious problem in Maputo province, a metropolitan area of SSA, portending high MM. Identification of correctable risk factors, including anemia, should catalyze the development of region-specific prevention protocols.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael M Glenzer
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
| | - Momade Correia
- Department of Gynecology/Obstetrics, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Hospital, Central Maputo, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Virgilio Nhantumbo
- Department of Hematology, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Hospital, Central Maputo, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Richard Fw Barnes
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Elvira Luis
- Department of Gynecology/Obstetrics, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Hospital, Central Maputo, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Ines Boaventura
- Department of Gynecology/Obstetrics, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Hospital, Central Maputo, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Nelia Manguele
- Department of Hematology, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Hospital, Central Maputo, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Patricia Silva
- Department of Hematology, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Hospital, Central Maputo, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Annette von Drygalski
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Osseo-Asare AD. "Don't use herbs in labor!": Plants, pharmaceuticals, and the unmaking of traditional birth attendants in Ghana, 1970-2000. Soc Sci Med 2023; 329:115980. [PMID: 37311306 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This article considers efforts in the West African country of Ghana to improve maternal care through a network of trained "Traditional Birth Attendants," or TBAs in the late twentieth century. It reconsiders the rise and fall of TBAs through the lens of increasing global access to essential medicines like oxytocin and misoprostol which reduced confidence in herbal medications for pregnancy complications. Interviews with policy makers and birth attendants reflecting on their involvement in TBA programs from the 1970s as well as analysis of archival documents and training manuals shows how pharmaceuticals rose in prominence at the same time birth attendants maintained medicinal plant knowledge. Over time, Ghanaian policymakers encouraged TBAs to avoid using herbs while caring for women during pregnancy. By the early 2000s, government went so far as to ban TBAs, and urged everyone to deliver with a skilled birth attendant (SBA) such as a nurse midwife or obstetrician more conversant in biomedical interventions including pharmaceuticals. This retrospective account of TBAs across several decades suggests that once Ghanaian officials had strengthened access to standardized pharmaceuticals, they lost confidence in traditional birth attendants and the herbal remedies they cultivated. Access to pharmaceuticals shaped the difference between skilled and- "unskilled" or "traditional"-birth attendants.
Collapse
|
3
|
Faria I, Thivalapill N, Makin J, Puyana JC, Raykar N. Bleeding, Hemorrhagic Shock, and the Global Blood Supply. Crit Care Clin 2022; 38:775-793. [PMID: 36162910 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccc.2022.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Hemorrhage is responsible for at least 40% of deaths after trauma and 27% of maternal deaths worldwide. Patients with hemorrhagic shock require attentive critical care and transfusion of blood products. Access to a safe and affordable blood supply is critical to providing safe surgical care. Traumatic injury, obstetric hemorrhage, and upper gastrointestinal bleed are the main causes of severe bleeding requiring transfusion. This article discusses the presentation and management of these causes across the world and provides a brief overview of the current challenges in maintaining a global blood supply.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Faria
- Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, 641 Hungtington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 190 Avenida Professor Alfredo Balena, Belo Horizonte, MG 31130450, Brazil
| | - Neil Thivalapill
- Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 420 East Superior Street, Chicago IL 60611, USA
| | - Jennifer Makin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Magee - Women's Hospital, 300 Halket Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Puyana
- Critical Care Medicine, and Clinical Translational Science, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Presbyterian, F1263, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Nakul Raykar
- Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School, 641 Hungtington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Trauma & Emergency Surgery, Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jeong J, Bliznashka L, Ahun MN, Karuskina-Drivdale S, Picolo M, Lalwani T, Pinto J, Frey M, Velthauz D, Donco R, Yousafzai AK. A pilot to promote early child development within health systems in Mozambique: a qualitative evaluation. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1509:161-183. [PMID: 34859451 PMCID: PMC8978755 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Health systems offer unique opportunities for integrating services to promote early child development (ECD). However, there is limited knowledge about the implementation experiences of using health services to target nurturing care and ECD, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a qualitative implementation evaluation to assess the delivery, acceptability, perceived changes, and barriers and facilitators associated with a pilot strategy that integrated developmental monitoring, nutritional screening, and early learning and nutrition counseling into the existing health facility, and community-based services for young children in rural Mozambique. We completed individual interviews with caregivers (N = 36), providers (N = 27), and district stakeholders (N = 10), and nine facility observational visits at three primary health facilities in October-November 2020. We analyzed data using thematic content analysis. Results supported fidelity to the intended pilot model and acceptability of nurturing care services. Respondents expressed various program benefits, including strengthened health system capacity and improved knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding nurturing care and ECD. Government leadership and supportive supervision were key facilitators, whereas health system resource constraints were key barriers. We conclude that health systems are promising platforms for supporting ECD and discuss several programmatic recommendations for enhancing service delivery and maximizing potential impacts on nurturing care and ECD outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Jeong
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Lilia Bliznashka
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Marilyn N. Ahun
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Aisha K. Yousafzai
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Schleiff MJ, Aitken I, Alam MA, Damtew ZA, Perry HB. Community health workers at the dawn of a new era: 6. Recruitment, training, and continuing education. Health Res Policy Syst 2021; 19:113. [PMID: 34641898 PMCID: PMC8506097 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-021-00757-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This is the sixth of our 11-paper supplement entitled "Community Health Workers at the Dawn of New Era". Expectations of community health workers (CHWs) have expanded in recent years to encompass a wider array of services to numerous subpopulations, engage communities to collaborate with and to assist health systems in responding to complex and sometimes intensive threats. In this paper, we explore a set of key considerations for training of CHWs in response to their enhanced and changing roles and provide actionable recommendations based on current evidence and case examples for health systems leaders and other stakeholders to utilize. METHODS We carried out a focused review of relevant literature. This review included particular attention to a 2014 book chapter on training of CHWs for large-scale programmes, a systematic review of reviews about CHWs, the 2018 WHO guideline for CHWs, and a 2020 compendium of 29 national CHW programmes. We summarized the findings of this latter work as they pertain to training. We incorporated the approach to training used by two exemplary national CHW programmes: for health extension workers in Ethiopia and shasthya shebikas in Bangladesh. Finally, we incorporated the extensive personal experiences of all the authors regarding issues in the training of CHWs. RESULTS The paper explores three key themes: (1) professionalism, (2) quality and performance, and (3) scaling up. Professionalism: CHW tasks are expanding. As more CHWs become professionalized and highly skilled, there will still be a need for neighbourhood-level voluntary CHWs with a limited scope of work. Quality and performance: Training approaches covering relevant content and engaging CHWs with other related cadres are key to setting CHWs up to be well prepared. Strategies that have been recently integrated into training include technological tools and provision of additional knowledge; other strategies emphasize the ongoing value of long-standing approaches such as regular home visitation. Scale-up: Scaling up entails reaching more people and/or adding more complexity and quality to a programme serving a defined population. When CHW programmes expand, many aspects of health systems and the roles of other cadres of workers will need to adapt, due to task shifting and task sharing by CHWs. CONCLUSION Going forward, if CHW programmes are to reach their full potential, ongoing, up-to-date, professionalized training for CHWs that is integrated with training of other cadres and that is responsive to continued changes and emerging needs will be essential. Professionalized training will require ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the quality of training, continual updating of pre-service training, and ongoing in-service training-not only for the CHWs themselves but also for those with whom CHWs work, including communities, CHW supervisors, and other cadres of health professionals. Strong leadership, adequate funding, and attention to the needs of each cadre of CHWs can make this possible.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meike J. Schleiff
- Health Systems Program, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Iain Aitken
- Management Sciences for Health, Ministry of Public Health, Kabul, Afghanistan
| | | | | | - Henry B. Perry
- Health Systems Program, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ntabona A, Binanga A, Bapitani MDJ, Bobo B, Mukengeshayi B, Akilimali P, Kalong G, Mujani Z, Hernandez J, Bertrand JT. The scale-up and integration of contraceptive service delivery into nursing school training in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Health Policy Plan 2021; 36:848-860. [PMID: 34009259 PMCID: PMC8227455 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czab014] [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] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), modern contraceptive prevalence is low by international standards: 29.6% as of 2020. A 2015 pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of using medical and nursing students to administer DMPA-SC (the subcutaneous injection) among other methods at the community level. The more far-reaching discovery was the potential of clinically trained students to increase access to low-cost contraception in the short-run, while improving the quality of service delivery for future generations of healthcare providers. Scale-up involved integrating the family planning curriculum into the training of nursing students, including classroom instruction in contraceptive technology and service delivery, coupled with a year-long field practicum in which students offered a range of contraceptive methods during intermittent outreach events, door-to-door distribution or sales from their homes. Starting in 2015, a multi-agency team consisting of an international non-governmental organizations (NGO), several Ministry of Health directorates and a local NGO used the ExpandNet/WHO framework to guide this scale-up. This article details the nine steps in the scale-up process. It presents results on increases in contraceptive uptake, feedback from participating nursing school personnel and the employment experience of the graduates from this programme. Between 2015 and 2019, the family planning curriculum was incorporated into 30.8% of the 477 nursing schools in 7 of the 26 provinces in the DRC. Students delivered 461 769 couple-years of protection (the key output indicator for family planning programmes). Nursing school personnel were strongly favourable to the approach, although they needed continued support to adequately implement a set of additional interventions related to the service delivery components of the new training approach. Post-graduation, only 40.1% of graduates had paid employment (reflecting the staggering unemployment in the DRC); among those, over 90% used their family planning training in their work. We describe the multiple challenges faced during the scale-up process and in planning for expansion to additional schools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Beatrice Bobo
- D6 Directorate in Charge of Nursing Schools, Ministry of Health
| | | | | | - Gloria Kalong
- Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM), 1440 Canal St, Suite 1900, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Zenon Mujani
- Tulane International LLC, Kinshasa, DRC.,National Programme for Reproductive Health (PNSR), Maternité de Kintambo, Kinshasa, DRC
| | - Julie Hernandez
- Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM), 1440 Canal St, Suite 1900, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Jane T Bertrand
- Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM), 1440 Canal St, Suite 1900, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Werner SS, Afandiyeva G, Karimova G, Kiefer S, Abdujabborov N, Dzhamalova M, Bandaev I, Prytherch H. Scaling up Business Plans in Tajikistan: a qualitative study of the history, barriers, facilitators and lessons learnt. Glob Health Action 2021; 14:1947552. [PMID: 34342247 PMCID: PMC8344240 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2021.1947552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To improve health planning at primary health care (PHC) level, Business Plans were introduced in Tajikistan by the Enhancing Primary Health Care (EPHC) Services Project. OBJECTIVE To describe the history and process of implementation of Business Plans and to identify barriers, facilitators and lessons learnt from scaling up Business Plans. METHODS Set in a qualitative research design, we conducted a desk review of project and official documents and seventeen semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders at national and sub-national levels between May and July 2020. We used an interview guide informed by the ExpandNet/WHO framework and analyzed the data following a content analysis approach facilitated by MAXQDA. RESULTS With the participation of various user organizations and resource teams and through a variety of strategic scale-up choices, Business Plans have been scaled up from a vertical pilot project to institutionalized health management tools covering 45% of Tajikistan's PHC facilities. The most prominent facilitators for scaling up Business Plans were the institutionalization and integration of the tool into the Tajik health system, the close collaboration with Community Health Teams (CHTs), the high acceptance of the tool among the users, the advocacy through champions and policy-makers and the large dissemination network. The most outstanding barriers to scaling up Business Plans were insufficient financial or human resources, general weaknesses in health governance, the lack of a strategic scale-up plan and strategic decisions, the lack of motivation or overall vision to implement Business Plans at a large scale and difficulties in donor coordination. CONCLUSION To ensure the continuity of scaling up Business Plans, developing a scale-up strategy, strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration and participation during scaling up, and capacitating the user organizations of Business Plans are important next steps to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of Business Plans in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S Werner
- University College Freiburg, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gulara Afandiyeva
- “Enhancing Primary Health Care Services” Project, Representative Office of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
| | - Gulzira Karimova
- “Enhancing Primary Health Care Services” Project, Representative Office of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
| | - Sabine Kiefer
- Swiss Center for International Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nasrullo Abdujabborov
- “Enhancing Primary Health Care Services” Project, Representative Office of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
| | - Muazamma Dzhamalova
- Swiss Cooperation Office, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
| | - Ilhom Bandaev
- Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population, Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan
| | - Helen Prytherch
- Swiss Center for International Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hobday K, Zwi AB, Homer C, Kirkham R, Hulme J, Wate PZ, Prata N. Misoprostol for the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage in Mozambique: an analysis of the interface between human rights, maternal health and development. BMC INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS 2020; 20:9. [PMID: 32268892 PMCID: PMC7140325 DOI: 10.1186/s12914-020-00229-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mozambique has high maternal mortality which is compounded by limited human resources for health, weak access to health services, and poor development indicators. In 2011, the Mozambique Ministry of Health (MoH) approved the distribution of misoprostol for the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) at home births where oxytocin is not available. Misoprostol can be administered by a traditional birth attendant or self-administered. The objective of this paper is to examine, through applying a human rights lens, the broader contextual, policy and institutional issues that have influenced and impacted the early implementation of misoprostol for the prevention of PPH. We explore the utility of rights-based framework to inform this particular program, with implications for sexual and reproductive health programs more broadly. METHODS A human rights, health and development framework was used to analyse the early expansion phase of the scale-up of Mozambique's misoprostol program in two provinces. A policy document review was undertaken to contextualize the human rights, health and development setting in Mozambique. Qualitative primary data from a program evaluation of misoprostol for the prevention of PPH was then analysed using a human rights lens; these results are presented alongside three examples where rights are constrained. RESULTS Structural and institutional challenges exacerbated gaps in the misoprostol program, and sexual and reproductive health more generally. While enshrined in the constitution and within health policy documents, human rights were not fully met and many individuals in the study were unaware of their rights. Lack of information about the purpose of misoprostol and how to access the medication contributed to power imbalances between the state, health care workers and beneficiaries. The accessibility of misoprostol was further limited due to dynamics of power and control. CONCLUSIONS Applying a rights-based approach to the Mozambican misoprostol program is helpful in contextualising and informing the practical changes needed to improve access to misoprostol as an essential medicine, and in turn, preventing PPH. This study adds to the evidence of the interconnection between human rights, health and development and the importance of integrating the concepts to ensure women's rights are prioritized within health service delivery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen Hobday
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, PO Box 41096, Darwin, NT 0811 Australia
| | - Anthony B. Zwi
- Health, Rights and Development (HEARD@UNSW), Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Caroline Homer
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia
| | - Renae Kirkham
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, PO Box 41096, Darwin, NT 0811 Australia
| | - Jennifer Hulme
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Páscoa Zualo Wate
- Department of Women’s and Child Health, Ministry of Health, Avenida Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Ndola Prata
- Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability, University of California–Berkeley, University Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-6390 USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Oliver VL, Tolera M, Teklu AM, Minaye A, Lambert P, McIntosh MP. Qualitative formative implementation research to inform introduction of a new essential medicine. Res Social Adm Pharm 2019; 16:535-543. [PMID: 31375358 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.07.011] [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: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The launch of novel pharmaceuticals in the developing world faces significant barriers that can delay or ultimately inhibit uptake. Implementation research can provide an understanding of factors influencing the introduction and scale up of a new product and thus can inform implementation strategy development. OBJECTIVE This study explored the factors likely to influence introduction of a novel oxytocin formulation for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in Ethiopia. METHODS Qualitative research methods were used to assess barriers and enablers associated with pre-determined domains: regulatory approval, pricing, supply and demand side advocacy, policy inclusion, end-user training and drug supply. Data were collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with community members, healthcare providers and key informants. Verbatim transcripts were translated to English and analyzed using a thematic content framework. RESULTS Approval from stringent regulatory bodies was an enabler for gaining national regulatory approval. Purchasers (government and patients) expressed price sensitivity but would be willing to pay a price comparable to or higher than current alternatives if improved quality is delivered. Endorsement from the World Health Organization was described as critical for national policy inclusion. Supply side advocacy should be directed towards the Ministry of Health, which is receptive to advice from reputable agencies with whom they have an existing relationship. Demand side advocacy should be delivered through existing health system channels such as Ministry of Health authorities (for healthcare workers) and community health workers (for community members). The requirement to purchase the product directly from a single manufacturer was highlighted as a potential barrier for entry into the local supply chain. CONCLUSION This study highlighted several barriers and enablers associated with the introduction of a new drug product into the health system of Ethiopia. An advanced understanding of these influences can inform the design of locally-appropriate implementation strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Oliver
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Moti Tolera
- MERQ Consultancy PLC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; School of Public Health, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | | | - Abebaw Minaye
- MERQ Consultancy PLC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; School of Psychology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Pete Lambert
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michelle P McIntosh
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|