AccesstoTuberculosisServicesforIndividuals WithDisabilityinRuralMalawi,aQualitative Study

Author: LisbetGrut1,LifahSanudi2,StineHellumBraathen1,ThomasJürgens3,ArneH.Eide1

Year: 2015

Category: Corporate Reports

Abstract

Tuberculosisoccursinallpopulations,butwithhigherprevalenceinpoorcontexts.Vulnerablegroups,includingindividualswithdisability,runaparticularriskduetopooreraccessto informationandhealthservices.Studyingaccesstotuberculosisservicesforvulnerable groupsinpoorcontextsmayprovideusefulinsightintothequalityofsuchservicesinlow-incomecontexts.Thisarticle aimstopresentacontextualunderstandingofaccesstotuberculosisservicesforpeoplewithdisabilitiesinonedistrictinsouthernMalawi.Aqualitative methodwithsemi-structuredinterviewsandsiteobservationswasapplied.Inall,89participantswereinterviewed:47personswithdisability,11parents/guardiansofyouthswithdisability,andtheremaining31comprisingeighthealthworkers, fourcommunityrehabilitation assistantsandvolunteers, and19leadersinthecommunity.Ourmainfindingsarethatlack ofinformationandknowledge,andconsiderableconfusionrelatedtotuberculosis,itscause andhowtoprotectoneself,aremajorbarriertoaccessingservices.Diseaseawareness andpersonalriskperceptionarekeyfactorsinthisregard.Furtherfindingsconcernsthe pathwaystotuberculosisrelatedhealthservices,inparticularhavingatestandcompleting thetreatment.Thecombinationoflackofknowledgeandbarriersinaccessingtestsimplies substantialavailabilityandaccessproblems.Itisofimportancetounderstandthecombined impactofindividual,social,contextual,andsystemsbarrierstofullyaddressthecomplexity ofaccessingtuberculosisservicesforvulnerablegroupsinpoorpopulations.Lackofdisabilityspecificstrategiesinthelocalhealthservicesmaybepartofthereasonwhyindividualswithdisabilitytonotaccesssuchservices

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