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Health service delivery and political trust in Nigeria.

ABSTRACT: Do improvements in health service delivery affect trust in political leaders in Africa? Citizens expect their government to provide social services. Intuitively, improvements in service delivery should lead to higher levels of trust in and support for political leaders. However, in contexts where inadequate services are the norm, and where political support is linked to ethnic or religious affiliation, there may be weak linkages between improvements in service delivery and changes in trust in political leaders. To examine this question empirically, we take advantage of a national intervention that improved health service delivery in 500 primary health care facilities in Nigeria, to estimate the impact of residence within 10?km of one or more of the intervention facilities on trust in the president, local councils, the ruling party, and opposition parties. Using difference-in-difference models, we show that proximity to the intervention led to increases in trust in the president and the ruling party. By contrast, we find no evidence of increased trust in the local council or opposition parties. Our study also examines the role of ethnicity and religious affiliation in mediating the observed increases in trust in the president. While there is a large literature suggesting that both the targeting of interventions, and the response of citizens to interventions is often mediated by ethnic, geographic or religious identity, by contrast, we find no evidence that the intervention was targeted at the president's ethnic group, zone, or state of origin. Moreover, there is suggestive evidence that the intervention increased trust in the president more among those who did not share these markers of identity with the president. This highlights the possibility that broad-based efforts to improve health services can increase trust in political leaders even in settings where political attitudes are often thought to be mediated by group identity.

SUBMITTER: Chukwuma A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6446063 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundOver two-thirds of Africans have no access to eye care services. To increase access, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends integrating eye care into primary health care, and the WHO Africa region recently developed a package for primary eye care. However, there are limited data on the capacities needed for delivery, to guide policymakers and implementers on the feasibility of integration. The overall purpose of this study was to assess the technical capacity of the health system at primary level to deliver the WHO primary eye care package. Findings with respect to service delivery, equipment and health management information systems (HMIS) are presented in this paper.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods, cross sectional feasibility study in Anambra State, Nigeria. Methods included a desk review of relevant Nigerian policies; a survey of 48 primary health facilities in six districts randomly selected using two stage sampling, and semi-structured interviews with six supervisors and nine purposively selected facility heads. Quantitative study tools included observational checklists and questionnaires. Survey data were analysed descriptively using STATA V.15.1 (Statcorp, Texas). Differences between health centres and health posts were analysed using the z-test statistic. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis assisted by Open Code Software V.4.02.ResultsThere are enabling national health policies for eye care, but no policy specifically for primary eye care. 85% of facilities had no medication for eye conditions and one in eight had no vitamin A in stock. Eyecare was available in < 10% of the facilities. The services delivered focussed on maternal and child health, with low attendance by adults aged over 50 years with over 50% of facilities reporting ≤10 attendances per year per 1000 catchment population. No facility reported data on patients with eye conditions in their patient registers.ConclusionA policy for primary eye care is needed which aligns with existing eye health policies. There are currently substantial capacity gaps in service delivery, equipment and data management which will need to be addressed if eye care is to be successfully integrated into primary care in Nigeria.

Project description:Background: Several organizations in Nigeria are leading pilot introduction programs of the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS). We conducted a qualitative assessment of providers' experiences across the five programs and an analysis of service delivery costs in one program. Methods: We conducted 20 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with providers. We used project expenditure records to estimate incremental direct service delivery costs of introducing the LNG-IUS in 40 social franchise clinics supported by the Society for Family Health (SFH). We then compared the direct service delivery costs per couple years of protection (CYP) for the LNG-IUS to other family planning methods. Results: Providers appreciated the therapeutic benefits of the LNG-IUS, especially reduction of heavy bleeding. They said that women generally accepted bleeding changes with counseling but noted complaints about spotting and mixed acceptability of amenorrhea. Providers indicated being comfortable with both the insertion and removal process and believed their equipment and infection prevention protocols were adequate. Lack of awareness among women, limited availability, current pricing, and resistance to uterine placement among some women were perceived as barriers. The estimated direct service delivery cost of introducing the LNG-IUS in pilot settings, inclusive of up-front provider training costs, was USD 34 per insertion. Direct service delivery costs at a 'steady state' (i.e., without training costs included for any method) of the LNG-IUS per CYP was similar to that of other contraceptive methods distributed in Nigeria. Conclusion: Providers' positive experiences with the LNG-IUS and direct service delivery costs per CYP that align with those for other methods suggest that the LNG-IUS could be an important addition to the method mix in Nigeria. Product introduction strategies will need to address both the supply and the demand sides, as well as consider appropriate pricing of the LNG-IUS relative to other methods and particularly the copper IUD.

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Health service delivery and political trust in Nigeria.

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