Listening to health workers: lessons from Eastern Uganda for strengthening the programme for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
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Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC Health Services Research
Abstract
The implementation and utilization of programmes for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission
(PMTCT) of HIV in most low income countries has been described as sub-optimal. As planners and service providers, the
views of health workers are important in generating priorities to improve the effectiveness of the PMTCT programme in
Uganda. We explored the lessons learnt by health workers involved in the provision of PMTCT services in eastern
Uganda to better understand what more needs to be done to strengthen the PMTCT programme.
Methods: A qualitative study was conducted at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, The AIDS Support Organisation
(TASO) Mbale and at eight neighbouring health centres in eastern Uganda, between January and May 2010. Data
were collected through 24 individual interviews with the health workers involved in the PMTCT programme and
four key informants (2 district officials and 2 officials from TASO). Data were analyzed using the content thematic
approach. Study themes and sub-themes were identified following multiple reading of interview transcripts.
Relevant quotations have been used in the presentation of study findings.
Results: The key lessons for programme improvement were: ensuring constant availability of critical PMTCT
supplies, such as HIV testing kits, antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for mothers and their babies, regular in-service training
of health workers to keep them abreast with the rapidly changing knowledge and guidelines for PMTCT, ensuring
that lower level health centres provide maternity services and ARVs for women in the PMTCT programme and
provision of adequate facilities for effective follow-up and support for mothers.
Conclusions: The voices of health workers in this study revealed that it is imperative for government, civil society
organizations and donors that the PMTCT programme addresses the challenges of shortage of critical PMTCT
supplies, continuous health worker training and follow-up and support for mothers as urgent needs to strengthen
the PMTCT programme.
Description
Keywords
Health workers, Eastern Uganda, Mother-to-child transmission, HIV
Citation
Rujumba et al.: Listening to health workers: lessons from Eastern Uganda for strengthening the programme for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. BMC Health Services Research 2012 12:3. doi:10.1186/1472-6963-12-3