scholarly journals Delivery of nutrition services in health systems in sub-Saharan Africa: opportunities in Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Niger

2004 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 1047-1053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel D Hampshire ◽  
Victor M Aguayo ◽  
Hamani Harouna ◽  
Julie A Roley ◽  
Ann Tarini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
National Health ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Nutrition Services ◽  
Nutrition Training ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackground:In sub-Saharan Africa, underweight and micronutrient deficiencies account for an estimated 25% of the burden of disease. As the coverage of national health systems expands, increased opportunities exist to address the needs of children and women, the most vulnerable to these deficiencies, through high-quality nutrition services.Objectives:To assess health providers' knowledge and practice with regard to essential nutrition services for women and children in Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Niger, in order to assist the development of a standard guide and tools to assess and monitor the quality of the nutrition services delivered through national health systems.Findings:The three surveys reveal the extent of missed opportunities to deliver nutrition services during routine prenatal, postnatal and child-care consultations for the prevention and treatment of highly prevalent nutritional deficiencies.Conclusion:A commitment to improving the quality of facility-based nutrition services is necessary to impact on the health outcomes of women and children ‘covered’ by national health systems. Rigorous assessment and monitoring of the quality of nutrition services should inform health programme and policy development. Building on the lessons learned in these three assessments, Helen Keller International has developed a standard Guide and Tools to assess the quality of the nutrition services delivered through national health systems. These tools can be adapted to assess ongoing nutrition services in health facilities, provide a framework for nutrition programming, inform the development of pre-service as well as in-service nutrition training curricula for providers, and evaluate the impact of nutrition training on providers' practices.

scholarly journals Quality of care in the free maternal healthcare era in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review of providers’ and managers’ perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Ansu-Mensah ◽  
Frederick Inkum Danquah ◽  
Vitalis Bawontuo ◽  
Peter Ansu-Mensah ◽  
Tahiru Mohammed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Healthcare Financing ◽  
Maternal Healthcare ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Free maternal healthcare financing schemes play an essential role in the quality of services rendered to clients during antenatal care in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, healthcare managers’ and providers’ perceptions of the healthcare financing scheme may influence the quality of care. This scoping review mapped evidence on managers’ and providers’ perspectives of free maternal healthcare and the quality of care in SSA. Methods We used Askey and O’Malley’s framework as a guide to conduct this review. To address the research question, we searched PubMed, CINAHL through EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Google Scholar with no date limitation to May 2019 using keywords, Boolean terms, and Medical Subject Heading terms to retrieve relevant articles. Both abstract and full articles screening were conducted independently by two reviewers using the inclusion and exclusion criteria as a guide. All significant data were extracted, organized into themes, and a summary of the findings reported narratively. Results In all, 15 out of 390 articles met the inclusion criteria. These 15 studies were conducted in nine countries. That is, Ghana (4), Kenya (3), and Nigeria (2), Burkina Faso (1), Burundi (1), Niger (1), Sierra Leone (1), Tanzania (1), and Uganda (1). Of the 15 included studies, 14 reported poor quality of maternal healthcare from managers’ and providers’ perspectives. Factors contributing to the perception of poor maternal healthcare included: late reimbursement of funds, heavy workload of providers, lack of essential drugs and stock-out of medical supplies, lack of policy definition, out-of-pocket payment, and inequitable distribution of staff. Conclusion This study established evidence of existing literature on the quality of care based on healthcare providers’ and managers’ perspectives though very limited. This study indicates healthcare providers and managers perceive the quality of maternal healthcare under the free financing policy as poor. Nonetheless, the free maternal care policy is very much needed towards achieving universal health, and all efforts to sustain and improve the quality of care under it must be encouraged. Therefore, more research is needed to better understand the impact of their perceived poor quality of care on maternal health outcomes.

scholarly journals Aging, Health, and Quality of Life for Older People Living With HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review and Proposed Conceptual Framework

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. Siedner
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
The Impact

Objective: The number of people living with HIV (PLWH) over 50 years old in sub-Saharan Africa is predicted to triple in the coming decades, to 6-10 million. Yet, there is a paucity of data on the determinants of health and quality of life for older PLWH in the region. Methods: A review was undertaken to describe the impact of HIV infection on aging for PLWH in sub-Saharan Africa. Results: We (a) summarize the pathophysiology and epidemiology of aging with HIV in resource-rich settings, and (b) describe how these relationships might differ in sub-Saharan Africa, (c) propose a conceptual framework to describe determinants of quality of life for older PLWH, and (d) suggest priority research areas needed to ensure long-term gains in quality of life for PLWH in the region. Conclusions: Differences in traditional, lifestyle, and envirnomental risk factors, as well as unique features of HIV epidemiology and care delivery appear to substantially alter the contribution of HIV to aging in sub-Saharan Africa. Meanwhile, unique preferences and conceptualizations of quality of life will require novel measurement and intervention tools. An expanded research and public health infrastructure is needed to ensure that gains made in HIV prevention and treamtent are translated into long-term benefits in this region.

scholarly journals The prevalence of scabies in Monrovia, Liberia: a population-based survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelui Collinson ◽  
Joseph Timothy ◽  
Samuel K Zayay ◽  
Karsor K Kollie ◽  
Eglantine Lebas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackgroundScabies is known to be a public health problem in many settings but the majority of recent data is from rural settings in the Pacific. There is a need for high quality data from sub-Saharan Africa and peri-Urban settings to inform scale up of scabies control efforts. There have been anecdotal reports of scabies being a public health problem in Liberia but robust data are lacking.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional cluster-randomised prevalence survey for scabies in a peri-urban community in Monrovia, Liberia in February-March 2020. Participants underwent a standardised examination conducted by trained local health care workers. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using age-appropriate dermatology life quality indices (DLQIs). Prevalence estimates were calculated accounting for clustering at community and household levels and associations with key demographic variables assessed through multivariable random-effects logistic regression.Results1,318 participants from 477 households were surveyed. The prevalence of scabies prevalence was 9.3% (95% CI: 6.5-13.2%), across 75 (19.7%) households; impetigo or infected scabies prevalence was 0.8% (95% CI: 0.4-1.9%). The majority (52%) of scabies cases were classified as severe. Scabies prevalence was lower in females and higher in the youngest age group; no associations were found with other collected demographic or socio-economic variables. DLQI scores indicated a very or extremely large effect on HRQoL in 29% of adults and 18% of children diagnosed with scabies.ConclusionsOur study indicates a substantial burden of scabies in this peri-Urban population in Liberia. This was associated with significant impact on quality of life, highlighting the need for action to control scabies in this population. Further work is needed to assess the impact of interventions in this context on both the prevalence of scabies and quality of life.Plain English summaryScabies is an infestation with a microscopic mite which affects many people living in low-resource tropical countries. It causes intense itching, which can lead to complications through bacterial infection and poor quality of life. To help develop global scabies control programmes, we need a better understanding of how common it is across different tropical settings. We conducted a survey to assess the burden of scabies and bacterial skin infection in a random sample of people living in a community in Monrovia, Liberia. Information about participants and their household were collected and their skin was examined; those with skin conditions were asked about its impact on quality of life.We examined 1,318 participants and found that almost 10% of people had scanies. Scabies was more common in young children, and was more common in male children than female children. We found that there was a large impact on quality of life due mostly to the itching that scabies causes and to people feeling embarrassed or sad because of their skin condition. This scabies survey is one of the first conducted across all age groups in recent years in sub-Saharan Africa and indicates a substantial burden and impact on quality of life. More work is needed to understand how common scabies is in different settings and the impact that different treatment strategies may have.

scholarly journals Conditional Efficiency of Official Development Assistance (ODA) on Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ladifatou GACHILI NDI GBAMBIE ◽  
Ousseni MONGBET
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Economic Policy ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Method Of Moment ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ssa Countries

<p>Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries have benefited for more than fifty years from international aid in the form of loans and/or donations. Nevertheless, they seem not to benefit from these massive financial resources (ODA) they receive because their economic and social situation is not very good. This study aims to assess the impact of ODA on economic growth in SSA and to see if its effect on growth is conditioned by the quality of the economic policy. The estimates are conducted on a dynamic panel of twenty-three SSA countries running from 1985 to 2014. With macroeconomic data from the World Bank's CD-ROM (World Development Indicators, 2015), the Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) system from Blundel and Bond (1998) was used. The results show that the impact of ODA on growth is not significant. Subsequently, when squared aid (ODA2) is included in the estimate, ODA becomes significant, meaning that a substantial amount of assistance is required to be effective in raising the economic growth rate of the SSA countries. In addition, the effectiveness of ODA is conditioned by the quality of the economic policy. This seems to be bad in SSA, hence the negative impact of the aid on economic growth.</p>

Increasing the Visibility of Graduate Students' Employability Skills

2021 ◽  
pp. 253-275
Author(s):  
Lourdes Guàrdia ◽  
Marcelo Fabián Maina ◽  
Federica Mancini
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Skills Gap ◽  
Learning Models ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

This chapter highlights the contributions of the EPICA project in reducing the skills gap of graduate students in sub-Saharan Africa. It presents the solution designed and implemented to improve the quality of employability skills development and visibility to prospective employers. The first part of this chapter provides an overview of the skills gap between higher education institutions and the workplace in sub-Saharan Africa. It includes the description of the specific eAssessment pedagogical framework and methodology supported by the EPICA ePortfolio as a transition tool designed to address this gap. The second part of the chapter outlines the challenges that could hinder the solution's implementation and the full exploitation of its benefits. Solutions and recommendations are also discussed with the aim to increase the impact in the EPICA stakeholder community and encourage the implementation of the proposed solution in other universities, especially those adopting blended and online learning models.

scholarly journals Impact of Introducing Hepatitis B Birth Dose Vaccines into the Infant Immunization Program in Burkina Faso: Study Protocol for a Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial (NéoVac Study)

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 583
Author(s):  
Haoua Tall ◽  
Pierrick Adam ◽  
Abdoul Salam Eric Tiendrebeogo ◽  
Jeanne Perpétue Vincent ◽  
Laura Schaeffer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Health Center ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Stepped Wedge ◽  
Immunization Program ◽  
Birth Dose ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Cluster Randomized ◽  
The Impact

To achieve global hepatitis elimination by 2030, it is critical to prevent the mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Since 2009, the WHO has recommended administering hepatitis B vaccine to all neonates within 24 h of birth to prevent MTCT. However, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa only provide hepatitis B immunization at the age of 6, 10, and 14 weeks or 8, 12, and 16 weeks using a combined vaccine. To accelerate the introduction of the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine (HepB-BD) into sub-Saharan Africa, it is critical to establish to what extent the addition of HepB-BD can further reduce HBV transmission in areas where three-dose infant vaccination has been implemented. We therefore designed a study to evaluate the impact, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness of incorporating the HepB-BD into the routine immunization program in a real-life field condition in Burkina Faso, where the hepatitis B vaccination is currently scheduled at 8-12-16 weeks. Through a multidisciplinary approach combining epidemiology, anthropology, and health economics, the Neonatal Vaccination against Hepatitis B in Africa (NéoVac) study conducts a pragmatic stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial in rural areas of the Hauts-Bassins Region. The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04029454). A health center is designated as a cluster, and the introduction of HepB-BD will be rolled out sequentially in 24 centers. Following an initial period in which no health center administers HepB-BD, one center will be randomly allocated to incorporate HepB-BD. Then, at a regular interval, another center will be randomized to cross from the control to the intervention period, until all 24 centers integrate HepB-BD. Pregnant women attending antenatal care will be systematically invited to participate. Infants born during the control period will follow the conventional immunization schedule (8-12-16 weeks), while those born in the interventional period will receive HepB-BD in addition to the routine vaccines (0-8-12-16 weeks). The primary outcome, the proportion of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity in infants aged at 9 months, will be compared between children born before and after HepB-BD introduction. The study will generate data that may assist governments and stakeholders in sub-Saharan Africa to make evidence-based decisions about whether to add HepB-BD into the national immunization programs.

scholarly journals Revisiting the Relationship between Poverty and Environmental Sustainability in Sub-Saharan African Countries using Dynamic Econometric Models

Economy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-25
Author(s):  
Owusu Samuel Mensah ◽  
Chen Jianlin ◽  
Fu Chuambo ◽  
Hu Qio
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Econometric Models ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Sustainable development remains an important issue in the quest to achieve a safe and a better world. The expansion of the 8 millennium development goals into the 17 sustainable development goals is a testament of the conscious desire to improve the human environment to ensure better quality of life for its citizens. This study assembles a collection of four sophisticated econometric models to determine the impact of poverty and other variables on two indicators of environmental sustainability. Beside, economic development, the study confirmed the negative impact of poverty on both indicators of sustainable development. The results prove that poverty in sub-Saharan Africa is a threat to environmental quality and its consequential challenges. The call to promote environmentally responsible behaviours should not be focused on developed countries alone. Poverty is also associated with high levels of pollution and poor countries including countries in sub-Saharan Africa contributes must equally restrategise for effective environmental goals. The study further discloses that poverty is one of the strongest factors that affect environmental sustainability. This observation is not a contradiction to the well-established fact that prosperity or economic growth is a major precursor of unsustainable environment. On the contrary the evidence in this paper amplifies a consequence of a social crisis if they fester at both ends. In one breath, whereas economic growth or economic prosperity can compromise the quality of the environment. In conclusion, this result implies that African countries in their pursuit of economic growth, education and effective healthcare to ameliorate poverty must incorporate other aggressive strategies to hasten poverty reduction.

scholarly journals Incidence of Sickle Cell Anaemia among Children Attending Maryam Abacha Women and Children Hospital, Sokoto

2020 ◽  
pp. 66-71
Author(s):  
S. Y. Lema ◽  
J. Suleiman ◽  
J. Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Sickle Cell ◽  
Sickle Cell Anaemia ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Age Group ◽  
The World ◽  
Genotype Test ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Male Subjects

Sickle Cell Anaemia is still considered the most common genetic disease worldwide, causing morbidity and mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa, Mediterranean areas, Middle East and India. Nigeria, being the most populous black nation in the world, bears its greatest burden in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study was conducted to determine the incidence of Sickle Cell Anaemia among children attending Maryam Abacha Women and Children Hospital, Sokoto. A total of one hundred (100) blood samples were examined for the disease. Out of the 100 children tested for the disease. (59%) were normal (HbAA), (35%) were carrier (HbAS) and (6%) were Sicklers (HbSS). The result based on gender showed that female has the highest percentage of the disease (5%) against male subjects with only (1%). A child between the age group 6-10 years has the highest rate of sickle cell anaemia (3%) while age group 11-15 years had the lowest rate of the infection. Improved knowledge regarding Sickle cell anaemia disease and its comprehensive care among Nigerian physicians will enhance quality of care for affected childrens and policy for regular genotype test by government and other stakeholders before marriage among Nigerians will help to prevent the disease.

Firm productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa: how relevant is quality of tax administration?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-90
Author(s):  
Kofi Kamasa ◽  
George Adu ◽  
Eric Fosu Oteng-Abayie
Keyword(s):  
Business Environment ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Tax Administration ◽  
Firm Productivity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to find the effect of quality of tax administration on firm productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Also, the paper investigates whether the effect of quality of tax administration on firm productivity varies with respect to firms of different ages and sizes. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses the World Bank Enterprise Survey data for 6,718 firms across 40 countries in SSA. By employing the least square method, the estimations are robust since country and industry heterogeneity are controlled, as well as other covariates that affect firm productivity such as capital, technology, business environment, infrastructure and firm characteristics. Findings Results of the paper reveal that productivity of firms reduces with poor quality of tax administration. With positive and significant interaction term coefficient between smaller firms and quality of tax administration, the findings also reveal that smaller firms do benefit in the presence of poor quality of tax administration than larger firms. Originality/value The study contributes to policy by providing empirical evidence on the impact that quality of tax administration has on firm productivity. Empirically, the paper is also the first to assess the effect of tax administration quality on firm productivity with sole emphasis on SSA (to the best of the authors’ knowledge after review of literature). The paper suggests reforms and improvement in tax administration so as to reduce compliance burden and improve productivity.

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