The effects of public and private health care expenditure on health status in sub-Saharan Africa: New evidence from panel data analysis

Background: Health care expenditure has been low over the years in developing regions of the world. A majority of countries in these regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), rely on donor grants and loans to finance health care. Such expenditures are not only unsustainable but also inadequate considering the enormous health care burden in the region. The objectives of this study are to determine the effect of health care expenditure on population health status and to examine the effect by public and private expenditure sources. Methods: The study used panel data from 1995 to 2010 covering 44 countries in SSA. Fixed and random effects panel data regression models were fitted to determine the effects of health care expenditure on health outcomes. Results: The results show that health care expenditure significantly influences health status through improving life expectancy at birth, reducing death and infant mortality rates. Both public and private health care spending showed strong positive association with health status even though public health care spending had relatively higher impact. Conclusion: The findings imply that health care expenditure remains a crucial component of health status improvement in sub-Saharan African countries. Increasing health care expenditure will be a significant step in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Further, policy makers need to establish effective public-private partnership in allocating health care expenditures

Trend and determinants of contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in Ghana

The study examined the trend in contraceptive use among sexually active women of reproductive age in Ghana. The study also investigated the socioeconomic determinants of contraceptive use. Cross tabulations and logistic regression analyses were performed on data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys 1988 - 2008. The results indicate low contraceptive use among women with marked variation in contraceptive use across various socioeconomic groups and administrative regions. Evidence from the logistic regressions suggests that improving education and reducing poverty are critical in improving contraceptive use and reducing unmet need for family planning. Child survival, access to family planning services and knowledge of contraceptive methods were also found to be significant determinants of contraceptive use. The importance of improving financial and infrastructural access to contraceptives was confirmed by the findings of the study.

Pression Foncière Et Défis D’Aménagement Dans La Commune D’Adjarra Au Sud-Est Du Bénin

La commune d’Adjarra est confrontée depuis quelques années à une pression foncière sans précédent du fait de l’évolution démographique et des besoins accrus en terres en matière de logement. Cette situation est aussi due aux coûts liés à l’installation humaine. Ces phénomènes ne sont pas sans effets sur l’environnement. La présente recherche vise à étudier les principaux facteurs de la pression foncière dans la commune d’Adjarra.L’approche méthodologique adoptée s’est construite autour de trois étapes essentielles : la collecte des données, leur traitement et l’analyse des résultats au moyen du modèle SWOT. Au total, 267 ménages ont été enquêtés et 38 personnes ressources interviewées. Les données collectées ont subi des traitements appropriés. Les logiciels ArcGIS 10.8 et SPSS ont servi à la réalisation des différentes cartes et aux traitements statistiques.L’analyse des résultats montre que plusieurs facteurs sont à la base de la pression foncière dans la commune d’Adjarra. Il s’agit de la croissance démographique, les travaux de lotissement, la disponibilité des infrastructures sociocommunautaires, l’extension du réseau d’énergie électrique et d’adduction d’eau potable et la modernisation du réseau routier. Ces différents facteurs démontrent la pression humaine sur les terres et les ressources ligneuses dans la commune d’Adjarra. Cette situation favorise l’augmentation du prix d’achat des parcelles. La gouvernance locale et les pratiques de gestion des terres contribuent aux dynamiques spatiales. Ainsi, la commune d’Adjarra est marquée par la régression des espaces naturels et des terres agricoles au profit des surfaces bâties dont la superficie est passée de 692 ha en 2002 à 4 329 ha en 2024 en l’absence des documents de planification territoriale (schéma directeur d’aménagement communal, plan directeur d’urbanisme). C’est pourquoi, on observe l’installation anarchique des habitats, l’insuffisance d’infrastructures sociocommunautaires et la consommation accrue de plus en plus des terres pour les besoins de construction

National responses to global health targets: exploring policy transfer in the context of the UNAIDS '90-90-90' treatment targets in Ghana and Uganda.

Global health organizations frequently set disease-specific targets with the goal of eliciting adoption at the national-level; consideration of the influence of target setting on national policies, programme and health budgets is of benefit to those setting targets and those intended to respond. In 2014, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS set 'ambitious' treatment targets for country adoption: 90% of HIV-positive persons should know their status; 90% of those on treatment; 90% of those achieving viral suppression. Using case studies from Ghana and Uganda, we explore how the target and its associated policy content have been adopted at the national level. That is whether adoption is in rhetoric only or supported by programme, policy or budgetary changes. We review 23 (14 from Ghana, 9 from Uganda) national policy, operational and strategic documents for the HIV response and assess commitments to '90-90-90'. In-person semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively sampled key informants (17 in Ghana, 20 in Uganda) involved in programme-planning and resource allocation within HIV to gain insight into factors facilitating adoption of 90-90-90. Interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically, inductively and deductively, guided by pre-existing policy theories, including Dolowitz and Marsh's policy transfer framework to describe features of the transfer and the Global Health Advocacy and Policy Project framework to explain observations. Regardless of notable resource constraints, transfer of the 90-90-90 targets was evident beyond rhetoric with substantial shifts in policy and programme activities. In both countries, there was evidence of attempts to minimize resource constraints by seeking programme efficiencies, prioritization of programme activities and devising domestic financing mechanisms; however, significant resource gaps persist. An effective health network, comprised of global and local actors, mediated the adoption and adaptation, facilitating a shift in the HIV programme from 'business as usual' to approaches targeting geographies and populations

HIV/AIDS-related stigma and HIV test uptake in Ghana: evidence from the 2008 Demographic and Health Survey

The study examined the association between HIV test uptake and socioeconomic characteristics of individuals, including HIV-related stigma behaviours. The study also investigated the socioeconomic determinants of HIV-related stigma in Ghana. Cross tabulations and logistic regression techniques were applied to data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. The results showed significantly low HIV test uptake and some level of HIV-related stigma prevalence in Ghana. Higher wealth status, educational attainment and HIV-related stigma were significant determinants of HIV test uptake. Aside wealth status and education, rural place of residence and religious affiliation were positive and significant determinants of HIV-related stigma. The findings call for comprehensive HIV education including treatment, prevention and care. Legislations to discourage stigma and improve HIV-testing will be critical policy steps in the right direction.

Economic burden of caregiving for persons with severe mental illness in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review

© 2018 Addo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Background Over the past two decades, the focus of mental health care has shifted from institutionalisation to community-based programs and short hospital stays. This change means that there is an increased role for caregivers, mostly family members, in managing persons with mental illness. Although there is evidence to support the benefits of deinstitutionalisation of mental health care, there are also indications of substantial burden experienced by caregivers; the evidence of which is limited in sub-Saharan Africa. However, knowledge of the nature and extent of this burden can inform the planning of mental health services that will not only benefit patients, but also caregivers and households. Objective To systematically review the available evidence on the economic burden of severe mental illness on primary family caregivers in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted in Pubmed, CINAHL, Econlit and Web of Science with no date limitations up to September 2016 using keywords such as "burden", "cost of illness" and "economic burden" to identify relevant published literature. Articles were appraised using a standardised data extraction tool covering themes such as physical, psychological and socioeconomic burden. Results Seven papers were included in the review. Caregivers were mostly family members with a mean age of 46.34, female and unemployed. Five out of seven studies (71%) estimated the full economic burden of severe mental illness on caregivers. The remainder of studies just described the caregiver burden. All seven papers reported moderate to severe caregiver burden characterised by financial constraint, productivity loss and lost employment. The caregiver’s level of income and employment status, severity of patient’s condition and duration of mental illness were reported to negatively affect the economic burden experienced by caregivers. Conclusion There is paucity of studies reporting the burden of severe mental illness on caregivers in sub-Saharan Africa. Further research is needed to present the nature and extent of this burden to inform service planning and policymaking

Assessing the choice of national health insurance fund contracted outpatient facilities in Kenya: a qualitative study

Objective To assess National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) members' level of understanding, experiences, and factors influencing their choice of NHIF-contracted outpatient facilities in Kenya. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study with NHIF members in two purposefully selected counties (Nyeri and Makueni counties) in Kenya. We collected data through 15 focus group discussions with NHIF members. Data were analysed using a framework analysis approach. Results Urban-based NHIF members had a good understanding of the NHIF-contracted outpatient facility selection process and the approaches for choosing and changing providers, unlike their rural counterparts. While NHIF members were required to choose a provider before accessing care, the number of available alternative facilities was perceived to be inadequate. Finally, NHIF members identified seven factors they considered important when choosing an NHIF-contracted outpatient provider. Of these factors, the availability of drugs, distance from the household to the facility and waiting time at the facility until consultation were considered the most important. Conclusion There is a need for the NHIF to prioritise awareness-raising approaches tailored to rural settings. Further, there is a need for the NHIF to contract more providers to both spur competition among providers and provide alternatives for members to choose from. Besides, NHIF members revealed the important factors they consider when selecting outpatient facilities. Consequently, NHIF should leverage the preferred factors when contracting healthcare providers. Similarly, healthcare providers should enhance the availability of drugs, reduce waiting times whilst improving their staff's attitudes which would improve user satisfaction and the quality of care provided

Benefit-cost analysis of electronic claims processing under Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit-cost of E-claims. A benefit-cost analysis was used to evaluate the efficiency of E-claims from the perspective of the providers and the purchaser. DESIGN: A benefit-cost analysis approach was taken for this economic evaluation. Furthermore, we estimated the incremental benefit-cost ratio (IBCR) of the intervention under assessment. PARTICIPANTS: Purchasers and healthcare providers of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) of Ghana were the study population. RESULTS: The analysis was stratified according to providers and purchaser. Cost incurred in processing claims electronically and manually were estimated by assessing the resource use and their corresponding costs. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the robustness of the results to variations in discount rate and proportions of claims processed under E-claims compared with paper claims. The combined sample of providers and purchaser made incremental gains from processing claims electronically. The IBCR was -19.75, 25.56 and 5.10 for all (sample) providers, purchaser and both providers and purchaser, respectively. When projected for the 330 facilities submitting claims to the NHIS claims processing centre (CPC) as at December 2014, the IBCR were -35.20, 25.56 and 90.06 for all providers, purchaser and both providers and purchaser. The results were sensitive to the discount rate used and proportions of E-claims compared with paper claims. CONCLUSION: Electronic processing of claims is more efficient compared with manual processing, hence provide an economic case for scaling it up to cover many more healthcare facilities and NHIS CPCs in the Ghana