Maintaining essential health services during COVID-19 in Ghana: a qualitative study

作者：Isaac Yeboah, Duah Dwomoh, Rawlance Ndejjo, Steven Ndugwa Kabwama, Fidelia Ohemeng, Sylvia Akpene Takyi, Ibrahim Issah, Serwaa Akoto Bawua, Rhoda K. Wanyenze, Julius N. Fobil · 发表于：BMJ Global Health · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013284 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction、Global Maternal and Child Health、Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research

INTRODUCTION: Evidence suggests that non-pharmaceutical interventions such as lockdown policies, restriction of movement and physical distancing to control the novel COVID-19 contributed to the decline in utilisation of essential health services. We explored healthcare providers' and policy-makers' experiences of the barriers, interventions and response actions that contributed to ensuring the continuity of essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana to help inform future practice and policy. METHODS: We used a qualitative study approach. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Thirty Four participants composed of 20 healthcare providers and 14 policy-makers who worked across regions with low and high recorded COVID-19 cases in Ghana during the COVID-19 pandemic were involved in this study. RESULTS: Participants reported that essential health services including maternal, reproductive and child health services, communicable and non-communicable disease care, and elective surgeries were disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Barriers to the utilisation of essential services were constructed into three subthemes: (1) fear, (2) poor quality of care at the facility and (3) financial limitation. These barriers were mitigated with population-based interventions underpinned by the socioecological model at the individual and interpersonal level (including psychosocial care for families and home visits), institutional and community levels (such as allocation of...