Portrayal of the Human Resource Crisis and Accountability in Healthcare: A Qualitative Analysis of Ugandan Newspapers
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Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
PLoS One
Abstract
Uganda is one of the 57 countries with a critical shortage of health workers. The aim of this
study was to determine how the human resources and health service crisis was covered in
Ugandan newspapers and, in particular, how the newspapers attributed accountability for
problems in the health services.
Methods
We collected all articles related to health workers and health services for the calendar year
2012 in the two largest national newspapers in Uganda (collection on daily basis) and in
one local newspaper (collection on weekly basis). These articles were analysed qualitatively
regarding the main themes covered and attribution of accountability.
Results
The two more urban national newspapers published 229 articles on human resources and
health services in Uganda (on average over two articles per week), whereas the local more
rural newspaper published only a single article on this issue in the 12 month period. The majority
of articles described problems in the health service without discussing accountability.
The question of accountability is raised in only 46% of articles (106 articles). The responsibility
of the government was discussed in 50 articles (21%), and negligence, corruption and
misbehaviour by individual health workers was reported in 56 articles (25%). In the articles
about corruption (n=35), 60% (21 articles) mention corruption by health workers and 40%
(14 articles) mention corruption by government officials. Six articles defended the situation
of health workers in Uganda.
Conclusions
The coverage of accountability in the Ugandan newspapers surveyed is insufficient to generate
informed debate on what political actions need to be taken to improve the crisis in
health care and services. There exists not only an “inverse care law” but also an “inverse information
law”: those sections of society with the greatest health needs and problems in accessing
quality health care receive the least information about health services.
Description
Keywords
Human Resource Crisis, Healthcare, Ugandan Newspapers
Citation
Wojczewski S, Willcox M, Mubangizi V, Hoffmann K, Peersman W, Niederkrotenthaler T, et al. (2015) Portrayal of the Human Resource Crisis and Accountability in Healthcare: A Qualitative Analysis of Ugandan Newspapers. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0121766. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0121766