Perceived Health System Barriers to Tuberculosis Control Among Health Workers in South Africa

Background: The healthcare workforce in high tuberculosis burden countries such as South Africa is at elevated risk of tuberculosis infection and disease with adverse consequences for their well-being and productivity. Despite the availability of international guidelines on protection of health work...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Prince A. Adu, Annalee Yassi, Rodney Ehrlich, Jerry M. Spiegel
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Ubiquity Press 2020
Materias:	Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/069ba9690d2e41b9af165497cc6d42bd
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:069ba9690d2e41b9af165497cc6d42bd
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:069ba9690d2e41b9af165497cc6d42bd2021-12-02T10:01:20ZPerceived Health System Barriers to Tuberculosis Control Among Health Workers in South Africa2214-999610.5334/aogh.2692https://doaj.org/article/069ba9690d2e41b9af165497cc6d42bd2020-02-01T00:00:00Zhttps://annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/2692https://doaj.org/toc/2214-9996Background: The healthcare workforce in high tuberculosis burden countries such as South Africa is at elevated risk of tuberculosis infection and disease with adverse consequences for their well-being and productivity. Despite the availability of international guidelines on protection of health workers from tuberculosis, research globally has focused on proximal deficiencies in practice rather than on health system barriers. Objective: This study sought to elicit perceptions of informed persons within the health system regarding health system barriers to protecting health workers from tuberculosis. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 informants active in spheres related to workplace tuberculosis prevention and management in South Africa. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim, validated and analysed to derive emergent themes. Responses were analysed using the World Health Organization building blocks as core elements of a health system bearing on protection of its health workforce. Findings: The following health system barriers were identified by informants: leadership and governance were “top-down” and fragmented; lack of funding was a major barrier; there were insufficient numbers of staff trained in infection prevention and control and occupational health; occupational health services were not comprehensively available and the ability to sustain protective technologies was questioned. A cross-cutting barrier was lack of priority afforded to workforce occupational health associated with lack of accurate information on cases of TB among health workers. Conclusions: We conclude that deficiencies in implementation of recommended infection control and tuberculosis management practices are unlikely to be corrected until health system barriers are addressed. More committed leadership from senior health system management and greater funding are needed. The process could be assisted by the development of indicators to characterise such barriers and monitor progress.Prince A. AduAnnalee YassiRodney EhrlichJerry M. SpiegelUbiquity PressarticleInfectious and parasitic diseasesRC109-216Public aspects of medicineRA1-1270ENAnnals of Global Health, Vol 86, Iss 1 (2020)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270
spellingShingle	Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Prince A. Adu Annalee Yassi Rodney Ehrlich Jerry M. Spiegel Perceived Health System Barriers to Tuberculosis Control Among Health Workers in South Africa
description	Background: The healthcare workforce in high tuberculosis burden countries such as South Africa is at elevated risk of tuberculosis infection and disease with adverse consequences for their well-being and productivity. Despite the availability of international guidelines on protection of health workers from tuberculosis, research globally has focused on proximal deficiencies in practice rather than on health system barriers. Objective: This study sought to elicit perceptions of informed persons within the health system regarding health system barriers to protecting health workers from tuberculosis. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 informants active in spheres related to workplace tuberculosis prevention and management in South Africa. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim, validated and analysed to derive emergent themes. Responses were analysed using the World Health Organization building blocks as core elements of a health system bearing on protection of its health workforce. Findings: The following health system barriers were identified by informants: leadership and governance were “top-down” and fragmented; lack of funding was a major barrier; there were insufficient numbers of staff trained in infection prevention and control and occupational health; occupational health services were not comprehensively available and the ability to sustain protective technologies was questioned. A cross-cutting barrier was lack of priority afforded to workforce occupational health associated with lack of accurate information on cases of TB among health workers. Conclusions: We conclude that deficiencies in implementation of recommended infection control and tuberculosis management practices are unlikely to be corrected until health system barriers are addressed. More committed leadership from senior health system management and greater funding are needed. The process could be assisted by the development of indicators to characterise such barriers and monitor progress.
format	article
author	Prince A. Adu Annalee Yassi Rodney Ehrlich Jerry M. Spiegel
author_facet	Prince A. Adu Annalee Yassi Rodney Ehrlich Jerry M. Spiegel
author_sort	Prince A. Adu
title	Perceived Health System Barriers to Tuberculosis Control Among Health Workers in South Africa
title_short	Perceived Health System Barriers to Tuberculosis Control Among Health Workers in South Africa
title_full	Perceived Health System Barriers to Tuberculosis Control Among Health Workers in South Africa
title_fullStr	Perceived Health System Barriers to Tuberculosis Control Among Health Workers in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed	Perceived Health System Barriers to Tuberculosis Control Among Health Workers in South Africa
title_sort	perceived health system barriers to tuberculosis control among health workers in south africa
publisher	Ubiquity Press
publishDate	2020
url	https://doaj.org/article/069ba9690d2e41b9af165497cc6d42bd
work_keys_str_mv	AT princeaadu perceivedhealthsystembarrierstotuberculosiscontrolamonghealthworkersinsouthafrica AT annaleeyassi perceivedhealthsystembarrierstotuberculosiscontrolamonghealthworkersinsouthafrica AT rodneyehrlich perceivedhealthsystembarrierstotuberculosiscontrolamonghealthworkersinsouthafrica AT jerrymspiegel perceivedhealthsystembarrierstotuberculosiscontrolamonghealthworkersinsouthafrica
_version_	1718397748764475392

Perceived Health System Barriers to Tuberculosis Control Among Health Workers in South Africa

Ejemplares similares