Healthcare seeking practices and barriers to accessing under-five child health services in urban slums in Malawi: a qualitative study.
BMC Health Serv Res
; 16(1): 410, 2016 08 19.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27542836
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Access to child health services is an important determinant of child health. Whereas, child health indicators are generally better in urban than rural areas, some population groups in urban areas, such as children residing in urban slums do not enjoy this urban health advantage. In the context of increasing urbanisation and urban poverty manifesting with proliferation of urban slums, the health of under-five children in slum areas remains a public health imperative in Malawi. This paper explores healthcare-seeking practices for common childhood illnesses focusing on use of biomedical health services and perceived barriers to accessing under-five child health services in urban slums of Lilongwe, Malawi's capital city.METHODS:
Qualitative data from 8 focus group discussions with caregivers and 11 in-depth interviews with key informants conducted from September 2012 to April 2013 were analysed using conventional content analysis.RESULTS:
Whereas, caregivers sought care from biomedical health providers, late care-seeking also emerged as a major theme and phenomenon. Home management was actively undertaken for childhood illnesses. Various health system barriers lack of medicines and supplies; long waiting times; late facility opening times; negative attitude of health workers; suboptimal examination of the sick child; long distance to health facility; and cost of healthcare were cited in this qualitative inquiry as critical health system factors affecting healthcare-seeking for child health services.CONCLUSIONS:
Interventions to strengthen the health system's responsiveness to expectations are essential to promote utilisation of child health services among urban slum populations, and ultimately improve child health and survival.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Aceptación de la Atención de Salud
/
Áreas de Pobreza
/
Servicios de Salud del Niño
/
Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud
Tipo de estudio:
Qualitative_research
Límite:
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMC Health Serv Res
Asunto de la revista:
PESQUISA EM SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Año:
2016
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Malawi