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A comprehensive review of the barriers and promoters health workers experience in delivering prevention of vertical transmission of HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa.

ABSTRACT: Despite significant biomedical and policy advances, 199,000 infants and young children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) became infected with HIV in 2013, indicating challenges to implementation of these advances. To understand the nature of these challenges, we sought to (1) characterize the barriers and facilitators that health workers encountered delivering prevention of vertical transmission of HIV (PVT) services in SSA and (2) evaluate the use of theory to guide PVT service delivery. The PubMed and CINAHL databases were searched using keywords barriers, facilitators, HIV, prevention of vertical transmission of HIV, health workers, and their synonyms to identify relevant studies. Barriers and facilitators were coded at ecological levels according to the Determinants of Performance framework. Factors in this framework were then classified as affecting motivation, opportunity, or ability, per the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) framework in order to evaluate domains of health worker performance within each ecological level. We found that the most frequently reported challenges occurred within the health facility level and spanned all three MOA domains. Barriers reported in 30% or more of studies from most proximal to distal included those affecting health worker motivation (stress, burnout, depression), patient opportunity (stigma), work opportunity (poor referral systems), health facility opportunity (overburdened workload, lack of supplies), and health facility ability (inadequate PVT training, inconsistent breastfeeding messages). Facilitators were reported in lower frequencies than barriers and tended to be resolutions to challenges (e.g., quality supervision, consistent supplies) or responses to an intervention (e.g., record systems and infrastructure improvements). The majority of studies did not use theory to guide study design or implementation. Interventions addressing health workers' multiple ecological levels of interactions, particularly the health facility, hold promise for far-reaching impact as distal factors influence more proximal factors. Incorporating theory that considers factors beyond the health worker will strengthen endeavors to mitigate barriers to PVT service delivery.

SUBMITTER: Schuster RC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4978422 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A comprehensive review of the barriers and promoters health workers experience in delivering prevention of vertical transmission of HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa.

Schuster Roseanne C RC McMahon Devon E DE Young Sera L SL

AIDS care 20160217 6

Despite significant biomedical and policy advances, 199,000 infants and young children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) became infected with HIV in 2013, indicating challenges to implementation of these advances. To understand the nature of these challenges, we sought to (1) characterize the barriers and facilitators that health workers encountered delivering prevention of vertical transmission of HIV (PVT) services in SSA and (2) evaluate the use of theory to guide PVT service delivery. The PubMed a ...[more]

PMID: 26883903

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Project description:BackgroundThe health of adolescents is increasingly seen as an important international priority because the world's one point eight billion young people (aged 10 to 24 years) accounts for 15.5% of the global burden of disease and are disproportionately located in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Furthermore, an estimated 70% of premature adult deaths are attributable to unhealthy behaviors often initiated in adolescence (such as smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity). In order for health services to reach adolescents in LMICs, innovative service delivery models need to be explored and tested. This paper reviews the literature on generalist and specialist community health workers (CHWs) to assess their potential for strengthening the delivery of adolescent health services.MethodsWe reviewed the literature on CHWs using Medline (PubMed), EBSCO Global Health, and Global Health Archive. Search terms (n?=?19) were sourced from various review articles and combined with subject heading 'sub-Saharan Africa' to identify English language abstracts of original research articles on generalist and specialist CHWs.ResultsA total of 106 articles, from 1985 to 2012, and representing 24 African countries, matched our search criteria. A single study in sub-Saharan Africa used CHWs to deliver adolescent health services with promising results. Though few comprehensive evaluations of large-scale CHW programs exist, we found mixed evidence to support the use of either generalist or specialist CHW models for delivering adolescent health services.ConclusionsThis review found that innovative service delivery approaches, such as those potentially offered by CHWs, for adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa are lacking, CHW programs have proliferated despite the absence of high quality evaluations, rigorous studies to establish the comparative effectiveness of generalist versus specialist CHW programs are needed, and further investigation of the role of CHWs in providing adolescent health services in sub-Saharan Africa is warranted.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Despite increased access to treatment and reduced incidence, vertical transmission of HIV continues to pose a risk to maternal and child health in sub-Saharan Africa. Performance-based financing (PBF) directed at healthcare providers has shown potential to improve quantity and quality of maternal and child health services. However, the ways in which these PBF initiatives lead to improved service delivery are still under investigation. METHODS:Therefore, we implemented a longitudinal-controlled proof-of-concept PBF intervention at health facilities and with community-based associations focused on preventing vertical transmission of HIV (PVT) in rural Mozambique. We hypothesized that PBF would increase worker motivation and other aspects of the workplace environment in order to achieve service delivery goals. In this paper, we present two objectives from the PBF intervention with public health facilities (n=6): first, we describe the implementation of the PBF intervention and second, we assess the impact of the PBF on health worker motivation, key factors in the workplace environment, health worker satisfaction, and thoughts of leaving. Implementation (objective 1) was evaluated through quantitative service delivery data and multiple forms of qualitative data (eg, quarterly meetings, participant observation (n=120), exit interviews (n=11)). The impact of PBF on intermediary constructs (objective 2) was evaluated using these qualitative data and quantitative surveys of health workers (n=83) at intervention baseline, midline, and endline. RESULTS:We found that implementation was challenged by administrative barriers, delayed disbursement of incentives, and poor timing of evaluation relative to incentive disbursement (objective 1). Although we did not find an impact on the motivation constructs measured, PBF increased collegial support and worker empowerment, and, in a time of transitioning implementing partners, decreased against desire to leave (objective 2). CONCLUSION:Areas for future research include incentivizing meaningful quality- and process-based performance indicators and evaluating how PBF affects the pathway to service delivery, including interactions between motivation and workplace environment factors.

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Project description:BackgroundThere is evidence that persons with disabilities often encounter grave barriers when accessing sexual and reproductive health services. To the best of our knowledge, however, no systematic review has been conducted to pull together these pieces of research evidence for us to understand the nature, magnitude and extent of these barriers in different settings in sub-Saharan Africa. We do not yet have a good understanding of the strength/quality of the evidence that exist on the barriers persons with disabilities face when accessing sexual and reproductive health services in sub-Saharan Africa. We therefore conducted a systematic review to examine the barriers persons with disabilities face in accessing sexual and reproductive health services in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsA systematic review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines (PROSPEROO protocol registration number: CRD42017074843). An electronic search was conducted in Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science from 2001 to 2020. Manual search of reference list was also conducted. Studies were included if they reported on barriers persons with disability face in accessing sexual and reproductive health services. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme and Centre for Evidence Based Management (CEBMa) appraisal tools were used to assess methodological quality of eligible studies.FindingsA total of 1061 studies were identified. Only 26 studies covering 12 sub-Saharan African countries were eligible for analysis. A total of 33 specific barriers including inaccessible physical health infrastructure and stigma and discrimination were identified. These barriers were further categorised into five levels: broader national level barriers; healthcare system/institutional barriers; individual level barriers; community level barriers; and economic barriers.ConclusionPersons with disabilities face a myriad of demand and supply side barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa. Multilevel interventions are urgently needed to address these barriers.

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Project description:BackgroundHIV testing and counselling (HTC) is an essential component for HIV prevention and a critical entry point into the HIV continuum of care and treatment. Despite the importance of HTC for HIV control, access to HTC services among female sex workers (FSWs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains suboptimal and little is known about factors influencing FSWs' access to HTC. Guided by the client-centred conceptual framework, we conducted a systematic review to understand the facilitators and barriers influencing FSWs in SSA to access HTC services.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, POPLINE and Web of Science databases for literature published between January 2000 and July 2017. References of relevant articles were also searched. We included primary studies of any design, conducted in SSA and published in the English language. Studies conducted in multi-sites inclusive of SSA were included only if data from sites in SSA were separately analysed and reported. Similarly, studies that included other subpopulations were only eligible if a separate analysis was done for FSWs. This review excluded papers published as systematic reviews, editorial comments and mathematical modelling. The protocol for this review is registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), registration number CRD42017062203.ResultsThis review shows that factors related to approachability, acceptability, availability, affordability and appropriateness of the services are crucial in influencing access to HTC services among FSWs in SSA. These factors were mediated by individual attributes such as HIV risk perceptions, awareness of the availability of HTC, and perceptions of the importance and quality of HTC services. The decision to utilise HTC was predominantly hampered by discriminatory social norms such as HIV stigma and criminalisation of sex work.ConclusionsFSWs' access to HTC is facilitated by multiple factors, including individual awareness of the availability of HTC services, and perceived quality of HTC especially with regard to assured confidentiality. Concerns about HIV stigma and fear about discrimination due to community intolerance of sex work acted as major barriers for FSWs to seek HTC services from the facilities offering health services to the general population.

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A comprehensive review of the barriers and promoters health workers experience in delivering prevention of vertical transmission of HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa.

Publications

A comprehensive review of the barriers and promoters health workers experience in delivering prevention of vertical transmission of HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa.

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