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Lynch CA, Lhazeen K, Shrestha M, Ruwanpura V, Valecha N, Thriemer K. Eliminating malaria in our time. PLOS Glob Public Health 2024; 4:e0003086. [PMID: 38630671 PMCID: PMC11023452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline A. Lynch
- Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Geneva, Switzerland
- Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) Vivax Working Group, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Karma Lhazeen
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Thimphu, Bhutan
| | - Manash Shrestha
- Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Geneva, Switzerland
- Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) Vivax Working Group, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Varunika Ruwanpura
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Neena Valecha
- Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) Vivax Working Group, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kamala Thriemer
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
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Ansah EW, Maneen S, Ephraim A, Ocloo JEY, Barnes MN, Botha NN. Politics-evidence conflict in national health policy making in Africa: a scoping review. Health Res Policy Syst 2024; 22:47. [PMID: 38622666 PMCID: PMC11017532 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-024-01129-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generally, public health policy-making is hardly a linear process and is characterized by interactions among politicians, institutions, researchers, technocrats and practitioners from diverse fields, as well as brokers, interest groups, financiers and a gamut of other actors. Meanwhile, most public health policies and systems in Africa appear to be built loosely on technical and scientific evidence, but with high political systems and ideologies. While studies on national health policies in Africa are growing, there seems to be inadequate evidence mapping on common themes and concepts across existing literature. PURPOSE The study seeks to explore the extent and type of evidence that exist on the conflict between politics and scientific evidence in the national health policy-making processes in Africa. METHODS A thorough literature search was done in PubMed, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Dimensions, Taylor and Francis, Chicago Journals, Emerald Insight, JSTOR and Google Scholar. In total, 43 peer-reviewed articles were eligible and used for this review. RESULT We found that the conflicts to evidence usage in policy-making include competing interests and lack of commitment; global policy goals, interest/influence, power imbalance and funding, morals; and evidence-based approaches, self-sufficiency, collaboration among actors, policy priorities and existing structures. Barriers to the health policy process include fragmentation among actors, poor advocacy, lack of clarity on the agenda, inadequate evidence, inadequate consultation and corruption. The impact of the politics-evidence conflict includes policy agenda abrogation, suboptimal policy development success and policy implementation inadequacies. CONCLUSIONS We report that political interests in most cases influence policy-makers and other stakeholders to prioritize financial gains over the use of research evidence to policy goals and targets. This situation has the tendency for inadequate health policies with poor implementation gaps. Addressing these issues requires incorporating relevant evidence into health policies, making strong leadership, effective governance and a commitment to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward W Ansah
- Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER), University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Samuel Maneen
- Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER), University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Anastasia Ephraim
- Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER), University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Janet E Y Ocloo
- Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER), University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Mabel N Barnes
- Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER), University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Nkosi N Botha
- Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER), University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
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Ruwanpura VSH, Grietens KP, Price RN, Thriemer K. Evidence uptake is only part of the process: Stakeholders' insights on WHO treatment guideline recommendation processes for radical cure of P. vivax malaria. PLOS Glob Public Health 2024; 4:e0002990. [PMID: 38483936 PMCID: PMC10939226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Health policy processes should be evidence-informed, transparent and timely, but these processes are often unclear to stakeholders outside the immediate policymaking environment. We spoke to 36 international malaria stakeholders to gain insights on the processes involved in the World Health Organization's Global Malaria Programme's recommendations for their treatment guidelines of P. vivax malaria. Four key themes which drew on the 3i policy framework and Shiffman's four factors that influence global and national policymaking were identified to understand these processes. Triggers for policy change and change prioritisation, evidence types that inform policy, effects of funding on decision-making processes, and transparency and communication of these processes to external stakeholders. Results indicate that more clarity is needed on what triggers global malaria policy change processes, a clearer justification of evidence types used to inform policymaking, better understanding of the impact of the WHO's funding model on policymaking and further transparency and improved communication of these processes to external stakeholders is also needed. We suggest that global malaria policymaking could be improved by using the following strategies: ensuring that identified triggers actually initiate the policy change process, expediting decision-making timelines by developing a priority framework for assessing new evidence, adopting suitable frameworks to assess contextual evidence, and increasing the transparency of the role of non-state funders in policy decision-making processes and when publishing new recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varunika S. H. Ruwanpura
- Global Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Koen Peeters Grietens
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Ric N. Price
- Global Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kamala Thriemer
- Global Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
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Huang A, Zhao Y, Cao C, Lyu M, Tang K. Development assistance, donor-recipient dynamic, and domestic policy: a case study of two health interventions supported by World Bank-UK and Global Fund in China. Glob Health Res Policy 2024; 9:7. [PMID: 38310321 PMCID: PMC10838425 DOI: 10.1186/s41256-024-00344-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study views sustainability after the exit of development assistance for health (DAH) as a shared responsibility between donors and recipients and sees transitioning DAH-supported interventions into domestic health policy as a pathway to this sustainability. It aims to uncover and understand the reemergent aspects of the donor-recipient dynamic in DAH and how they contribute to formulating domestic health policy and post-DAH sustainability. METHODS We conducted a case study on two DAH-supported interventions: medical financial assistance in the Basic Health Services Project supported by the World Bank and UK (1998-2007) and civil society engagement in the HIV/AIDS Rolling Continuation Channel supported by the Global Fund (2010-2013) in China. From December 2021 to December 2022, we analyzed 129 documents and interviewed 46 key informants. Our data collection and coding were guided by a conceptual framework based on Walt and Gilson's health policy analysis model and the World Health Organization's health system building blocks. We used process tracing for analysis. RESULTS According to the collected data, our case study identified three reemergent, interrelated aspects of donor-recipient dynamics: different preferences and compromise, partnership dialogues, and responsiveness to the changing context. In the case of medical financial assistance, the dynamic was characterized by long-term commitment to addressing local needs, on-site mutual learning and understanding, and local expertise cultivation and knowledge generation, enabling proactive responses to the changing context. In contrast, the dynamic in the case of HIV/AIDS civil society engagement marginalized genuine civil society engagement, lacked sufficient dialogue, and exhibited a passive response to the context. These differences led to varying outcomes in transnational policy diffusion and sustainability of DAH-supported interventions between the cases. CONCLUSIONS Given the similarities in potential alternative factors observed in the two cases, we emphasize the significance of the donor-recipient dynamic in transnational policy diffusion through DAH. The study implies that achieving post-DAH sustainability requires a balance between donor priorities and recipient ownership to address local needs, partnership dialogues for mutual understanding and learning, and collaborative international-domestic expert partnerships to identify and respond to contextual enablers and barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan Huang
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, No. 30 Shuangqing Road, Beijing, 100084, China
- Institute for International and Area Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingxi Zhao
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, No. 30 Shuangqing Road, Beijing, 100084, China
- Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Nuffield Oxford, UK
| | - Chunkai Cao
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, No. 30 Shuangqing Road, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Mohan Lyu
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, No. 30 Shuangqing Road, Beijing, 100084, China
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kun Tang
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, No. 30 Shuangqing Road, Beijing, 100084, China.
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Zakumumpa H, Paina L, Ssegujja E, Shroff ZC, Namakula J, Ssengooba F. The impact of shifts in PEPFAR funding policy on HIV services in Eastern Uganda (2015-21). Health Policy Plan 2024; 39:i21-i32. [PMID: 38253438 PMCID: PMC10803197 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czad096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Although donor transitions from HIV programmes are increasingly common in low-and middle-income countries, there are limited analyses of long-term impacts on HIV services. We examined the impact of changes in President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding policy on HIV services in Eastern Uganda between 2015 and 2021.We conducted a qualitative case study of two districts in Eastern Uganda (Luuka and Bulambuli), which were affected by shifts in PEPFAR funding policy. In-depth interviews were conducted with PEPFAR officials at national and sub-national levels (n = 46) as well as with district health officers (n = 8). Data were collected between May and November 2017 (Round 1) and February and June 2022 (Round 2). We identified four significant donor policy transition milestones: (1) between 2015 and 2017, site-level support was withdrawn from 241 facilities following the categorization of case study districts as having a 'low HIV burden'. Following the implementation of this policy, participants perceived a decline in the quality of HIV services and more frequent commodity stock-outs. (2) From 2018 to 2020, HIV clinic managers in transitioned districts reported drastic drops in investments in HIV programming, resulting in increased patient attrition, declining viral load suppression rates and increased reports of patient deaths. (3) District officials reported a resumption of site-level PEPFAR support in October 2020 with stringent targets to reverse declines in HIV indicators. However, PEPFAR declared less HIV-specific funding. (4) In December 2021, district health officers reported shifts by PEPFAR of routing aid away from international to local implementing partner organizations. We found that, unlike districts that retained PEPFAR support, the transitioned districts (Luuka and Bulambuli) fell behind the rest of the country in implementing changes to the national HIV treatment guidelines adopted between 2017 and 2020. Our study highlights the heavy dependence on PEPFAR and the need for increasing domestic financial responsibility for the national HIV response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Zakumumpa
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, Makerere University, P O Box 7061, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Ligia Paina
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, P O Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Eric Ssegujja
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, Makerere University, P O Box 7061, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Zubin Cyrus Shroff
- Alliance for Health Policy and Systems, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Justin Namakula
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, Makerere University, P O Box 7061, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Freddie Ssengooba
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, Makerere University, P O Box 7061, Kampala, Uganda
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Chilot D, Mondelaers A, Alem AZ, Asres MS, Yimer MA, Toni AT, Ayele TA. Pooled prevalence and risk factors of malaria among children aged 6-59 months in 13 sub-Saharan African countries: A multilevel analysis using recent malaria indicator surveys. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285265. [PMID: 37256889 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Every 75 seconds, a child under five dies of malaria. Mainly children, aged between six months and five years, are at the highest risk for malaria. These children lost maternal immunity and did not yet developed specific immunity to the infection. Under the age of five, children bear the highest burden of malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Many individual and community level factors could contribute to malaria prevalence remaining high among under-five children in the region. Thus, this study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of malaria among children aged 6-59 months and identify potential factors associated with malaria by using recent Malaria Indicator Surveys in 13 SSA countries. METHODS Data for this study were drawn from recent 13 Sub-Saharan African countries Malaria Indicator Surveys (MIS). A total weighted sample of 60,541 children aged 6-59 months was included. STATA version 14.2 was used to clean, code and analyze the data. Multilevel logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with malaria. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI and a P value <0.05 was reported to indicate statistical association. Model fitness and comparison were done using Inter cluster correlation coefficient, Median odds ratio, proportional change in variance, and deviance. RESULTS The pooled prevalence of malaria among children aged 6-59 months was found to be 27.41% (95% CI: 17.94%-36.88%). It ranges from 5.04% in Senegal to 62.57% in Sierra Leone. Aged 36-47 months (AOR = 3.54, 95% CI 3.21-3.91), and 48-59 months (AOR = 4.32, 95% CI 3.91-4.77), mothers attended primary education (AOR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.73-0.84), richer (AOR = 0.35, 95% CI 0.32-0.39), and richest household (AOR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.14-0.19), number of three and more under-five children (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.26-1.45), improved floor material (AOR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.57-0.73), improved wall material (AOR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.64-0.84), improved roof material (AOR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.51-0.93), insecticide-treated bed net (ITN) use (0.56, 95% CI 0.51-0.62), not anemic (AOR = 0.05, 95% CI 0.04-0.06), rural resident (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI 2.06-2.27), high community ITN use (AOR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.24-0.63) and high community poverty (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI 2.53-2.84) were strongly associated with malaria. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Almost 3 out of 10 children were infected by malaria in 13 SSA countries. Malaria infection remains one of the main killers of children aged 6-59 months in the SSA. This study revealed that older under-five children living in large families with low incomes in rural areas are most vulnerable to malaria infection. Our results clearly indicate that ITN utilization and improved housing are promising means to effectively prevent malaria infection among children aged 6-59 months. It is therefore important to note that households with low wealth quintiles and rural residents should be prioritized in any mass distribution of ITNs. This has to be accompanied by education using mass media to enhance community awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmawi Chilot
- Department of Human Physiology, University of Gondar, College of Medicine and Health Science, School of Medicine, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Annelies Mondelaers
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Adugnaw Zeleke Alem
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, College of Medicine and Health Science, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Mezgebu Selamsew Asres
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Mulugeta Ayalew Yimer
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Alemayehu Teklu Toni
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Tadesse Awoke Ayele
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, College of Medicine and Health Science, Gondar, Ethiopia
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Mhazo AT, Maponga CC. Beyond political will: unpacking the drivers of (non) health reforms in sub-Saharan Africa. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:bmjgh-2022-010228. [PMID: 36455987 PMCID: PMC9717331 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-010228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lack of political will is frequently invoked as a rhetorical tool to explain the gap between commitment and action for health reforms in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the concept remains vague, ill defined and risks being used as a scapegoat to actually examine what shapes reforms in a given context, and what to do about it. This study sought to go beyond the rhetoric of political will to gain a deeper understanding of what drives health reforms in SSA. METHODS We conducted a scoping review using Arksey and O'Malley (2005) to understand the drivers of health reforms in SSA. RESULTS We reviewed 84 published papers that focused on the politics of health reforms in SSA covering the period 2002-2022. Out of these, more than half of the papers covered aspects related to health financing, HIV/AIDS and maternal health with a dominant focus on policy agenda setting and formulation. We found that health reforms in SSA are influenced by six; often interconnected drivers namely (1) the distribution of costs and benefits arising from policy reforms; (2) the form and expression of power among actors; (3) the desire to win or stay in government; (4) political ideologies; (5) elite interests and (6) policy diffusion. CONCLUSION Political will is relevant but insufficient to drive health reform in SSA. A framework of differential reform politics that considers how the power and beliefs of policy elites is likely to shape policies within a given context can be useful in guiding future policy analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison T Mhazo
- Community Health Sciences Unit (CHSU), Ministry of Health, Lilongwe, Malawi
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Jessani NS, Williamson RT, Choonara S, Gautier L, Hoe C, Jafar SK, Khalid AF, Rodríguez Salas I, Turcotte-Tremblay AM, Rodríguez DC. Evidence attack in public health: Diverse actors' experiences with translating controversial or misrepresented evidence in health policy and systems research. Glob Public Health 2022; 17:3043-3059. [PMID: 34996335 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2021.2020319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bringing evidence into policy and practice discussions is political; more so when evidence from health studies or programme data are deemed controversial or unexpected, or when results are manipulated and misrepresented. Furthermore, opinion and misinformation in recent years has challenged our notions about how to achieve evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM). Health policy and systems (HPS) researchers and practitioners are battling misrepresentation that only serves to detract from important health issues or, worse, benefit powerful interests. This paper describes cases of politically and socially controversial evidence presented by researchers, practitioners and journalists during the Health Systems Research Symposium 2020. These cases cut across global contexts and range from public debates on vaccination, comprehensive sexual education, and tobacco to more inward debates around performance-based financing and EIDM in refugee policy. The consequences of engaging in controversial research include threats to commercial profit, perceived assaults on moral beliefs, censorship, fear of reprisal, and infodemics. Consequences for public health include research(er) hesitancy, contribution to corruption and leakage, researcher reflexivity, and ethical concerns within the HPS research and EIDM fields. Recommendations for supporting researchers, practitioners and advocates include better training and support structures for responding to controversy, safe spaces for sharing experiences, and modifying incentive structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasreen S Jessani
- Centre for Evidence-Based Health CareStellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Shakira Choonara
- Shakira Choonara Development Consulting, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lara Gautier
- Département de Gestion, d'Évaluation et de Politique de Santé, École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Connie Hoe
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sakeena K Jafar
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Irene Rodríguez Salas
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health System Impact Fellowship, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Turcotte-Tremblay
- Health & Science Section, La Nación Newspaper, San José, Costa Rica.,Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public health, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniela C Rodríguez
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Abstract
Technology continues to impact healthcare around the world. This provides great opportunities, but also risks. These risks are compounded in low-resource settings where errors in planning and implementation may be more difficult to overcome. Global Health Informatics provides lessons in both opportunities and risks by building off of general Global Health. Global Health Informatics also requires a thorough understanding of the local environment and the needs of low-resource settings. Forming effective partnerships and following the lead of local experts are necessary for sustainability; it also ensures that the priorities of the local community come first. There is an opportunity for partnerships between low-resource settings and high income areas that can provide learning opportunities to avoid the pitfalls that plague many digital health systems and learn how to properly implement technology that truly improves healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Grey Faulkenberry
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
| | - Anthony Luberti
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
| | - Sansanee Craig
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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Zakumumpa H, Kitutu FE, Ndagije HB, Diana NK, Ssanyu JN, Kiguba R. Provider perspectives on the acceptability and tolerability of dolutegravir-based anti-retroviral therapy after national roll-out in Uganda: a qualitative study. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:1222. [PMID: 34876050 PMCID: PMC8650263 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06933-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization recommends dolutegravir (DTG) as the for first-line and second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) worldwide. However, little is known about the acceptability and tolerability of DTG-based ART at routine points-of-care in Uganda. We set out to explore the perceptions of clinicians in ART clinics regarding the acceptability and tolerability of DTG-based ART since national roll-out in March 2018 in Uganda. METHODS We adopted a qualitative exploratory design involving 49 participants. Between September 2020 and February 2021, we conducted 22 in-depth interviews with clinicians in the ART clinics of 12 purposively selected health facilities across Uganda. The selection of study sites ensured diversity in facility ownership-type (public/private), level of service delivery (tertiary/secondary/primary) and the four major geographic sub-regions of Uganda. We conducted three focus group discussions with 27 clinicians in the participating facilities. Data were analyzed by thematic approach. RESULTS Clinicians in ART clinics acknowledged that DTG-based ART is well tolerated by the majority of their patients who appreciate the reduced pill burden, perceived less side effects and superior viral load suppression. However, they reported that a number of their patients experience adverse drug reactions (ADRs) after being transitioned to DTG. Hyperglycemia is, by far, the most commonly reported suspected ADR associated with DTG-based regimens and was cited in all but two participating facilities. Insomnia, weight gain and reduced libido are among the other frequently cited suspected ADRs. In addition, clinicians in ART clinics perceived some of the suspected ADRs as resulting from drug interactions between dolutegravir and isoniazid. Weak diagnostic capacities and shortage of associated commodities (e.g. glucometers and test kits) were reported as impediments to understanding the full extent of ADRs associated DTG-based ART. CONCLUSION While DTG-based regimens were perceived by clinicians in ART clinics to be well tolerated by the majority of their patients, they also reported that a number of patients experience suspected ADRs key among which were hyperglycemia, insomnia and reduced libido. Based on the perspectives of clinicians, we recommend that future studies examine the prevalence of dolutegravir-induced hyperglycemia in patients in Uganda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Zakumumpa
- School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
| | - Freddy Eric Kitutu
- Sustainable Pharmaceutical Systems (SPS) Unit, Pharmacy Department, School of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | | | - Jacquellyn Nambi Ssanyu
- Sustainable Pharmaceutical Systems (SPS) Unit, Pharmacy Department, School of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Ronald Kiguba
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
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