ArticleBMC health services research2023
Are we ready for a sustainable approach? A qualitative study of the readiness of the public health system to provide STI services to the key populations at risk of HIV in Bangladesh.
Article in BMC health services research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Encapsulating the burden and social determinants of self-reported general health problems among a specific sub-group of transgender women in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a mixed-methods study.International journal for equity in health · 2026Article
- Maintain the gains: methods to evaluate the sustainability and scalability of HIV-related prevention, care, and treatment programs.Current opinion in HIV and AIDS · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionIn Bangladesh, sexually transmitted infection (STI) services are available for all populations in public health facilities. However, STI services for key populations (KPs) at risk of HIV need specifically designed approaches that are predominantly administered to KPs through donor-supported service centers operated by non-government organizations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs). However, the steady decline in donor funding warrants a sustainable transition of STI services for the KPs into public health facilities. This article aimed to explore the service availability and readiness of public health facilities to provide STI services for the KPs.
methodsThis qualitative study explored the service availability and readiness of public health facilities in three districts of Bangladesh by adapting the Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool. We conducted 34 in-depth interviews,11 focus group discussions with KPs, and 29 key-informant interviews with healthcare providers, researchers, programme implementers and policy planners, in addition to series of direct observations at the public healthcare facilities. Data were analysed through thematic analysis, and categorised in relation to the WHO building blocks.
resultsThis study revealed that the public health system was generally not ready to serve the KPs' needs in terms of providing them with quality STI services. The 'service delivery' component, which is the most crucial facet of the public health system, was not ready to provide STI services to KPs. Findings also indicated that health workforce availability was limited in the primary and secondary healthcare layers but adequate in the tertiary layer, but needed to be oriented on providing culturally sensitised treatment. Counseling, an essential component of STI services, was neither ready nor available. However, health information systems and a few other components were partially ready, although this warrants systematic approaches to address these challenges.
conclusionThe findings show that public health facilities are yet to be fully ready to render STI services to KPs, especially in terms of service delivery and human and health resources. Therefore, it is not only integral to mobilize communities towards the uptake of public health services, but health systems need to be prepared to cater to their needs.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.