Sub-Saharan Africa

A guide to accounting for rural contexts in health policy, strategic planning and resourcing. Addressing the
specific rural health context in policy design, budget allocations and implementation plans is not yet a standard process in South Africa. This guide addresses that, to ensure that “the rural health context” is addressed adequately
when new policies and budgets are drawn up and implemented in the beautiful rural parts of our country. [adapted from resource]

As in many developing countries, lack of reliable data and grossly inadequate appreciation and use of available information in planning and management of health services were two main weaknesses of the health information systems in Malawi. As a first step towards conceptualization and design of the system, a minimum set of indicators was identified and a strategy was formulated for establishing a system in the country. [from abstract]

Since responsibility for health services management lies at the district (sub-national) level, this study aimed to assess the extent to which the HIV M&E system is integrated with the overall health system M&E function at district level. This study describes implementation of the HIV M&E system, determines the extent to which it is integrated with the district health information system (DHIS), and evaluates factors influencing HIV M&E integration. [from abstract]

The health seeking behaviour of a community determines how they use health services. Utilisation of health facilities can be influenced by the cost of services, distance to health facilities, cultural beliefs, level of education and health facility inadequacies such as stock-out of drugs.
This study will assess the health seeking practices and challenges in utilising health facilities in a rural community in Wakiso district, Uganda. [from abstract]

This study aimed to document LGBT people’s experiences in SA public sector health care, including access to HIV counselling, testing and treatment, to analyse to what extend LGBT people’s right to health is actioned. It also investigates strategies for LGBT people to seek resolution and create accountability when experiencing health rights violations. [from abstract]

The Government of Enugu State plans to offer free perinatal services at the primary health care (PHC) centers in order to improve perinatal outcomes in the state, but it was not clear whether there are skilled birth attendants (SBAs) at the PHC level to implement the program. This study aims to determine whether there are sufficient numbers of SBAs in the public PHC system in Enugu State of Nigeria. [adapted from abstract]

‘Dual practice’, or multiple job holding, generally involves public sector-based health workers taking additional work in the private sector. There has been little conceptual or empirical development of the relationship between dual practice and retention. This article helps begin to fill this gap, drawing on empirical evidence from a qualitative
study focusing on South African specialists. [from abstract]

To assess the PMTCT program achievement in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. [from abstract]

Health surveillance assistants (HSAs) in Malawi have provided community case management (CCM) since 2008; however, program monitoring remains challenging. Mobile technology holds the potential to improve data, but rigorous assessments are few. This study tested the validity of collecting CCM implementation strength indicators through mobile phone interviews with HSAs. [from abstract]

Even after the launch of family planning program in Kenya, in 1967, contraceptive use among adolescents has remained below 10 percent while child bearing has increased from 2 percent at age 15 to 36 percent at age 19. To understand the roles of perceptions and barriers on contraceptive use, a mixed method study design was applied to a conceptual framework that operationalized these concepts using data from different sources of social interactions in Nairobi, Kenya. [from abstract]

Despite the existence of modern health facilities in Nigeria, over 58 percent of deliveries take place at home. As outcomes of pregnancy and their sequelae are purely left to the providence of women in many rural communities, the place of delivery is a great determinant of maternal and child morbidity and mortality. [from abstract]

African medical schools have historically turned to northern partners for technical assistance and resources to strengthen their education and research programmes. In 2010, this paradigm shifted when the United States Government brought forward unprecedented resources to support African medical schools. The grant, entitled the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) triggered a number of south-south collaborations between medical schools
in Africa. This paper examines the goals of these partnerships and their impact on medical education and health workforce planning. [from abstract]

Sensitivity training of front-line African health care workers (HCWs) attending to men who have sex with men (MSM) is actively promoted through national HIV prevention programming in Kenya.

L’évaluation avait pour but d’apprécier la pertinence, l’efficacité et la viabilité de ce programme de médicalisation, notamment des stratégies développées pour attirer et maintenir les médecins dans les zones rurales. [from resource]

The complex constellation of factors that underlie and reinforce gender-based violence (GBV) warrants a strong multi-level and multisectoral response. This technical brief explores Pathfinder’s experience pioneering a multisectoral approach to GBV prevention and response across two projects in Mozambique, and outlines key lessons learned and next steps. [from abstract]

Mobile health (mHealth) applications, such as innovative electronic forms on smartphones, could potentially improve the performance of health care workers and health systems in developing countries. However, contextual evidence on health workers’ barriers and motivating factors that may influence large-scale implementation of such interfaces for health care delivery is scarce. [from abstract]

Contraceptive prevalence is very low in Senegal, particularly among young women. Greater knowledge is needed about the barriers young women face to using contraceptives, including barriers imposed by health providers. [from abstract]

This study was conducted to assess the contraceptive method mix and factors associated with modern contraceptive use among currently married women in Adigrat town. [from abstract]

This study assessed the intention and factors associated with long-acting and permanent family planning methods among married 15-45 years women in Debre markos town to look at the local context. [from abstract]

Zimbabwe is ranked amongst the countries with highest maternal mortality rate in the world. Lack of early Ante
Natal Care (ANC) use and home deliveries by pregnant women are amongst the drivers of maternal mortality in the
country. The study therefore delved on identifying barriers and motivators to early use of ANC and delivering at health
facilities in Chipinge South District [from abstract]

This report describes a US National Institute of Health (NIH) funded Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) to enhance expertise in neurology, developed between Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Kampala, Uganda, and Case Western
Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH, USA. [from abstract]

The objective of the study was to investigate the factors that influence retention of rural health workers in hospitals in Siaya County, Kenya. [Adapted from resource]

Comzmercialization of health care has contributed to widen inequities between the rich and the poor, especially in settings with suboptimal regulatory frameworks of the health sector. Poorly regulated fee-for-service payment systems generate inequity and initiate a vicious circle in which access to quality health care gradually deteriorates.

The purpose of thsi research project is to establish the factors influencing use of telemedicine in Africa: a case of School of Medicine, University of Nairobi.

This study deployed a cross-sectional structured questionnaire to determine ICT knowledge and utilization among healthcare providers at National Hospital Abuja. [from abstract]

With the first case of Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) identified in 1986, the management of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria has evolved through the years. The emergency phase of the HIV/AIDS program, aimed at containing the HIV/AIDS epidemic within a short time frame, was carried out by international agencies that built structures separate from hospitals’ programs. It is imperative that Nigeria shifts from the previous paradigm to the concept of Commonization of HIV to achieve sustainability.

There is a scarcity of empirical data on African country climates for evidence-informed health system policymaking (EIHSP) to backup the longstanding reputation that research evidence is not valued enough by health policymakers as an information input.
Herein, we assess whether and how changes have occurred in the climate for EIHSP before and after the establishment of two Knowledge Translation Platforms housed in government institutions in Cameroon and Uganda since 2006. [from abstract]

The aim of the present study was to examine the procedures followed by traditional healers treating people living with HIV and AIDS in the Intsika Municipality and the challenges faced by them during this endeavour. [from abstract]

Nigeria is one of the low and middle income countries (LMICs) facing severe resource constraint, making it impossible for adequate
resources to be allocated to the health sector. Priority setting becomes imperative because it guides investments in health care, health research and respects resource constraints. The objective of this study was to enhance the knowledge and understanding of policymakers on research priority setting and to conduct a research priority setting exercise. [from abstract]

Inadequate pharmacy human resources have been a significant challenge faced in delivering public health interventions. In GHAIN project, the average pharmacist-patient ratio per clinic day was about 1:100. This had a negative effect on quality of care provided to patients. The project evolved a volunteer scheme aimed at mitigating the inadequacy of pharmacists amidst increasing workload. This article describes how the scheme was used to improve the human resource challenge in supported health facilities and the lessons learnt. [from abstract]