1
|
Ndagire E, Kawakatsu Y, Nalubwama H, Atala J, Sarnacki R, Pulle J, Kyarimpa R, Mwima R, Kansiime R, Okello E, Lwabi P, Beaton A, Sable C, Watkins D. Examining the Ugandan health system's readiness to deliver rheumatic heart disease-related services. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009164. [PMID: 33591974 PMCID: PMC7909659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2018, the World Health Assembly mandated Member States to take action on rheumatic heart disease (RHD), which persists in countries with weak health systems. We conducted an assessment of the current state of RHD-related healthcare in Uganda. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS This was a mixed-methods, deductive simultaneous design study conducted in four districts of Uganda. Using census sampling, we surveyed health facilities in each district using an RHD survey instrument that was modeled after the WHO SARA tool. We interviewed health workers with experience managing RHD, purposively sampling to ensure a range of qualification and geographic variation. Our final sample included 402 facilities and 36 health workers. We found major gaps in knowledge of clinical guidelines and availability of diagnostic tests. Antibiotics used in RHD prevention were widely available, but cardiovascular medications were scarce. Higher levels of service readiness were found among facilities in the western region (Mbarara district) and private facilities. Level III health centers were the most prepared for delivering secondary prevention. Health worker interviews revealed that limited awareness of RHD at the district level, lack of diagnostic tests and case management registries, and absence of clearly articulated RHD policies and budget prioritization were the main barriers to providing RHD-related healthcare. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Uganda's readiness to implement the World Health Assembly RHD Resolution is low. The forthcoming national RHD strategy must focus on decentralizing RHD diagnosis and prevention to the district level, emphasizing specialized training of the primary healthcare workforce and strengthening supply chains of diagnostics and essential medicines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Ndagire
- Uganda Heart Institute, Kampala, Uganda
- Children’s National Hospital, Division of Cardiology, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Yoshito Kawakatsu
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | | | | | - Rachel Sarnacki
- Children’s National Hospital, Division of Cardiology, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrea Beaton
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Craig Sable
- Children’s National Hospital, Division of Cardiology, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - David Watkins
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|