Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38490688›Full record

ArticleBMJ global health2024

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

Isaac Yeboah, Duah Dwomoh, Rawlance Ndejjo, Steven Ndugwa Kabwama, Fidelia Ohemeng, Sylvia Akpene Takyi, Ibrahim Issah, Serwaa Akoto Bawuah, Rhoda Kitti Wanyenze, Julius Fobil

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ global health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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  4. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Isaac YeboahEmployment and Society, University of Professional Studies, Legon, Ghana.
Duah DwomohDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana duahdwomoh@ug.edu.gh.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2726-9929
Rawlance NdejjoDisease Control and Environmental Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9263-557X
Steven Ndugwa KabwamaMakerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Fidelia OhemengDepartment of Sociology, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Sylvia Akpene TakyiDepartment of Biological, Environmental, and Occupational Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Ibrahim IssahDepartment of Biological, Environmental, and Occupational Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Serwaa Akoto BawuahDepartment of Biological, Environmental, and Occupational Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Rhoda Kitti WanyenzeSchool of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Julius FobilDepartment of Biological, Environmental, and Occupational Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
University of Ghana · GHMakerere University · UGUniversity of Professional Studies · GH

Funding

Gates Foundation INV-019313
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionEvidence 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.

methodsWe 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.

resultsParticipants 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 funds, training of health workers, public education, triage stations, provision of logistics, appointment scheduling, telemedicine and redeployment of health workers) and public policy level (tax relief packages, transportation arrangements and provision of incentives), which helped in maintaining essential health services during COVID-19.

conclusionDisruption of essential health services during COVID-19 in Ghana instigated population-based interventions which aided in expanding the populations' continuous access to essential health services and strengthened health service delivery.

Indexed as

COVID-19Maternal Health ServicesChildCommunicable Disease ControlFemaleGhanaHumansPandemicsPregnancyCOVID-19health systemsqualitative study

Identifiers

PMID38490688
PMCPMC11148662
OpenAlexW4392846960

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.