In a recent meeting with the Kayunga District Health Team (DHT), several gaps in healthcare delivery were identified, and actions were proposed to address them.
Mothers with babies were found to be skipping the second and third PCR tests because of the distance they have to travel to health facilities. The DHT has taken up the responsibility of following up on these mothers to ensure they receive the necessary tests and care.
Hepatitis B testing is not always linked to treatment, as test kits are sometimes out of stock at all facilities. The DHT has recommended that the National Medical Stores (NMS) act quickly to resolve this situation and ensure that essential medical supplies are always available.
Women living with HIV are four times more likely to get cervical cancer than those who are HIV negative, and some women are not comfortable being screened by young health workers. The DHT has recognized the need for improved education and awareness among health workers and the general public to dispel myths and misconceptions about cervical cancer screening.
The pressure to meet targets can be overwhelming for health workers, leading to some women being coerced into screening. The DHT has emphasized the need for a patient-centered approach to healthcare to address this issue.
Assisted Partner Notification (APN) has been successful in identifying new HIV cases and linking them to care. However, APN has been failing because of how the information is given by health workers. The DHT has proposed providing a full package of information, including clients’ rights in APN, to address this issue.
Overall, the meeting highlighted the importance of intensifying psychosocial support for people living with HIV, repackaging information sharing to ensure all necessary information is obtained in service delivery, and strengthening client sensitization to the available services.
The DHT’s commitment to addressing these gaps in healthcare delivery is a positive step towards ensuring that all individuals in Kayunga District have access to quality healthcare services.
CLM District Dissemination meetings are being held in 80 districts to share results from four health facilities supported by PEPFAR (through USAID, CDC, and DOD). The data generated reveals best practices for HIV/TB service delivery as well as the barriers that are stalling the HIV/TB response. The information is periodically disseminated to different stakeholders at the district level to share the best practices for cross-learning and to identify barriers for relevant stakeholders and the community to come up with measures and strategies to fill the service delivery gaps.
