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Integration of HIV and cervical cancer screening perceptions of healthcare providers and policy makers in Uganda

Kumakech, Edward ; Andersson, Soeren ; Wabinga, Henry and Berggren, Vanja LU (2014) In BMC Public Health 14.
Abstract
Background: HIV-positive women have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer (CC) compared to the HIV-negative women. Despite this, HIV and CC screening programs in many developing countries have remained disintegrated. Therefore, the objective of the study was to explore perceptions of healthcare providers (HCP) and policy makers (PM) about integration of HIV and CC screening services in Uganda. Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted among 16 participants comprising of 12 healthcare providers and 4 policy makers in Uganda. Data were collected through individual interviews. Participants were purposively selected from different level of health facilities with clinics for HIV and CC screening services. Content analysis method... (More)
Background: HIV-positive women have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer (CC) compared to the HIV-negative women. Despite this, HIV and CC screening programs in many developing countries have remained disintegrated. Therefore, the objective of the study was to explore perceptions of healthcare providers (HCP) and policy makers (PM) about integration of HIV and CC screening services in Uganda. Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted among 16 participants comprising of 12 healthcare providers and 4 policy makers in Uganda. Data were collected through individual interviews. Participants were purposively selected from different level of health facilities with clinics for HIV and CC screening services. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results: Three themes emerged from the data, namely appreciating benefits of integration, worrying about the limited health system capacity and potential consequences of integration and feeling optimistic about integration under improved health system conditions. The benefits embraced the women - particularly the HIV-positive women- but also men, healthcare providers and the health system or the government. There were worries that HIV stigma and shortage of healthcare workers would affect the effective delivery of the integrated program. Conclusion: Integration of HIV and CC screening can offer manifold benefits to all stakeholders in the health system, more so to the women. However, its feasibility in developing countries such as Uganda will most likely be hampered by weak and inefficient health systems. Therefore, when considering HIV and CC screening integration, it is important not to only recognize the benefits but also take into account resources requirements for addressing the existing weaknesses and inefficiencies in the health systems such as limited infrastructure, insufficient drugs and supplies, inadequate and poorly motivated healthcare workers. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
HIV, Cervical cancer, Screening, Integration, Uganda
in
BMC Public Health
volume
14
article number
810
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • wos:000341734500001
  • scopus:84907043465
ISSN
1471-2458
DOI
10.1186/1471-2458-14-810
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a21a5eae-44e7-434b-9188-7266474b48c4 (old id 4712958)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:27:07
date last changed
2022-03-29 07:36:16
@article{a21a5eae-44e7-434b-9188-7266474b48c4,
  abstract     = {{Background: HIV-positive women have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer (CC) compared to the HIV-negative women. Despite this, HIV and CC screening programs in many developing countries have remained disintegrated. Therefore, the objective of the study was to explore perceptions of healthcare providers (HCP) and policy makers (PM) about integration of HIV and CC screening services in Uganda. Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted among 16 participants comprising of 12 healthcare providers and 4 policy makers in Uganda. Data were collected through individual interviews. Participants were purposively selected from different level of health facilities with clinics for HIV and CC screening services. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results: Three themes emerged from the data, namely appreciating benefits of integration, worrying about the limited health system capacity and potential consequences of integration and feeling optimistic about integration under improved health system conditions. The benefits embraced the women - particularly the HIV-positive women- but also men, healthcare providers and the health system or the government. There were worries that HIV stigma and shortage of healthcare workers would affect the effective delivery of the integrated program. Conclusion: Integration of HIV and CC screening can offer manifold benefits to all stakeholders in the health system, more so to the women. However, its feasibility in developing countries such as Uganda will most likely be hampered by weak and inefficient health systems. Therefore, when considering HIV and CC screening integration, it is important not to only recognize the benefits but also take into account resources requirements for addressing the existing weaknesses and inefficiencies in the health systems such as limited infrastructure, insufficient drugs and supplies, inadequate and poorly motivated healthcare workers.}},
  author       = {{Kumakech, Edward and Andersson, Soeren and Wabinga, Henry and Berggren, Vanja}},
  issn         = {{1471-2458}},
  keywords     = {{HIV; Cervical cancer; Screening; Integration; Uganda}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Public Health}},
  title        = {{Integration of HIV and cervical cancer screening perceptions of healthcare providers and policy makers in Uganda}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3376445/7525733}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/1471-2458-14-810}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}