Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of antenatal syphilis screening and treatment for the prevention of congenital syphilis in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia: results of qualitative formative research.

BACKGROUND: The impact of untreated syphilis during pregnancy on neonatal health remains a major public health threat worldwide. Given the high prevalence of syphilis during pregnancy in Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Preventive Congenital Syphilis Trial (PCS Trial), a cluster randomized trial, was proposed to increase same-day screening and treatment of syphilis during antenatal care visits. To design an accepted and feasible intervention, we conducted a qualitative  formative research. Our objective was to identify context-specific  barriers and facilitators to the implementation of antenatal screening and treatment during pregnancy. METHODS: Qualitative research included in-depth semi-structured interviews with clinic administrators, group interviews with health care providers, and focus groups with pregnant women in primary care clinics (PCCs) in Kinshasa (DRC) and Lusaka (Zambia). RESULTS: A total of 112 individuals participated in the interviews and focus groups. Barriers for the implementation of syphilis testing and treatment were identified at the a) system level: fragmentation of the health system, existence of ANC guidelines in conflict with proposed intervention, poor accessibility of clinics (geographical and functional), staff and product shortages at the PCCs; b) healthcare providers' level: lack of knowledge and training about evolving best practices, reservations regarding same-day screening and treatment; c) Pregnant women level: late enrollment in ANC, lack of knowledge about consequences and treatment of syphilis, and stigma. Based on these results, we developed recommendations for the design of the PCS Trial intervention. CONCLUSION: This research allowed us to identify barriers and facilitators to improve the feasibility and acceptability of a behavioral intervention. Formative research is a critical step in designing appropriate and effective interventions by closing the "know-do gap".

Design and feasibility of an implementation strategy to address Chagas guidelines engagement focused on attending women of childbearing age and children at the primary healthcare level in Argentina: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Chagas is a public health problem, especially in Latin America, exacerbated by migratory movements and increasing urbanization. Argentina is among the countries with the highest estimated prevalence in the region, with 1,500,000 people infected, with mother to child as the main mode of transmission. Vertical transmission has been significantly reduced by treating women of childbearing age; several guidelines in the region recommend treatment as a primary prevention strategy for the child and a secondary prevention strategy for women and their families. Despite recommendations, women of childbearing age are not always treated, and children do not receive timely diagnosis and treatment. The objective of this research was to design an implementation strategy to improve using Chagas guidelines focused on attending women of childbearing age and children at the primary healthcare level and pilot it in three primary health care centers in Argentina. METHODS: We conducted a pilot feasibility study using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. A qualitative process evaluation was conducted using semi-structured interviews with health care providers and observations in primary health care centers. RESULTS: We developed a multifaceted implementation strategy including training, flowcharts and reminders, a register of suspected and confirmed cases, and the selection of a management facilitator. The pilot study took place between September 2019 and May 2020. The implementation level was heterogeneous and varied depending on the components, being the facilitating factors, the simplicity of the intervention, professionals' willingness to expand the indication of serologic tests, and staff commitment to the adoption of intervention components. The main barriers found were the change of authorities at the local level, some professionals´ reluctance to administer etiological treatment, staff shortages, lack of diagnostic supplies, and the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral change strategies should be applied to improve implementation to address some of the main barriers, including support actions offered by opinion leaders, medical experts, and local health authorities. Rapid diagnostic tests should be readily available to maintain behavior changes. We suggest further refinement of the strategy and its implementation in more centers to assess outcomes prospectively with a hybrid implementation research design.