COSTECH Integrated Repository

Essential medicine stock-outs in rural primary health care–exploring the contribution of politics and resulting perceptions in Kasulu district, Tanzania

Show simple item record

dc.creator Kessy, Ambrose
dc.creator Bana, Benson
dc.creator Damian, Respicius Shumbusho
dc.date 2020-03-19T09:57:29Z
dc.date 2020-03-19T09:57:29Z
dc.date 2018
dc.date.accessioned 2022-10-20T12:01:02Z
dc.date.available 2022-10-20T12:01:02Z
dc.identifier Damian, R. S., Bana, B., & Kessy, A. (2018). Essential medicine stock-outs in rural primary health care–exploring the contribution of politics and resulting perceptions in Kasulu district, Tanzania. International Journal of Development and Sustainability, 7(10), 2486-2513.
dc.identifier 2186-8662
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/2209
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12661/2209
dc.description Full Text Article. Also available at: www.isdsnet.com/ijds
dc.description Stock-outs of essential medicines and medical items remains a persistent problem in Tanzania, despite the several policy initiatives and interventions since the 1990s. We conducted a qualitative case study, which involved 24 in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions with the Community Health Fund stakeholders who were facility incharges, grassroots leaders, and members of Health Facility Governance Committees from eight primary health facilities in Kasulu District Council. The analysis involved transcribing and coding textual data to identify the key themes that emerged. The study identified four main themes that explained how the politics contribute to persistent stock outs, especially: 1) stock-outs as capital in electoral politics; 2) misinformation and rent-seeking; 3) dyads among street-level bureaucrats; and 4) competition and struggle for power and control over resources. We also identified four themes reflecting the dominant perceptions associated with stock-outs in the study communities namely: 1) feeling marginalized; 2) mistrust and suspicion of authority; 3) frustration of health workers; and 4) informal drug sellers as ‘the best'. These perceptions influence the way communities tend to define their role in health care financing and governance as well as the relationship between communities and health workers. While economic, administrative, and technical forces might influence stock outs, the politics within the management and governance of the Community Health Fund, which included rent-seeking, misinformation, and competition, significantly affected the legitimacy of the Community Health Fund. The resulting low enrollment and unwillingness to contribute makes medicines’ financing from community sources unsustainable. Therefore, empowering communities to mobilize locally available resources and exercise autonomous control over financial resources and medicine is imperative for addressing persistent stock outs.
dc.language en
dc.publisher International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS)
dc.subject Primary health care
dc.subject Community Health Fund
dc.subject CHF
dc.subject Politics
dc.subject Tanzania
dc.subject Essential medicines
dc.subject Community-based insurance schemes
dc.subject Community health
dc.subject Health politics
dc.subject Medicine Stock Outs
dc.title Essential medicine stock-outs in rural primary health care–exploring the contribution of politics and resulting perceptions in Kasulu district, Tanzania
dc.type Article


Files in this item

Files Size Format View
KESSY - PRIMARY HEALTH.pdf 415.7Kb application/pdf View/Open

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record

Search COSTECH


Advanced Search

Browse

My Account