Equity of health service utilization of urban residents： data from a western Chinese city

Background Getting medical treatment is still difficult and expensive in western China. Improving the equity of basic health services is one of the tasks of the new healthcare reform in China. This study aimed to analyze the parallel and vertical equity of health service utilization of urban residents and then find its influencing factors. Methods In August 2011, a household survey was conducted at 18 communities of Baoji City by multi-stage stratified random sampling. Based on the survey data, we calculated a concentration index of health service utilization for different income residents and a difference index of different ages. We then investigated the influencing factors of health service utilization by employing the Logistic regression model and log-linear regression model. Results The two-week morbidity rate of sampled residents was 19.43%, the morbidity rate of chronic diseases was 21.68%, and the required hospitalization rate after medical diagnosis was 11.36%. Among out-patient service utilization, the two-week out-patient rate, number of two-week out-patients, and out-patient expense had good parallel and vertical equity, while out-patient compensation expense had poor parallel and vertical equity. The inpatient service utilization, hospitalization rate, number of inpatients, days stayed in the hospital, and inpatient expense had good parallel equity, while inpatient compensation expense had poor parallel equity. While the hospitalization rate and number of inpatients had vertical equity, the days stayed in hospital, inpatient expense, and inpatient compensation expense had vertical inequity. Conclusions Urban residents＇ health was at a low level and there was not good health service utilization. There existed rather poor equity of out-patient compensation expense. The equity of inpatient service utilization was quite poor. Income difference and the type of medical insurance had great effects on the equity of health service utilization.

Health Services Utilization and Health Status of Insured versus Uninsured Nigerian Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Introduction: Nigeria accounts for 150,000 infants born with the Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) every year. Children with SCD are affected by the deleterious effect of user fees which reduces affordability and utilization of health services. Evidences supported that institutionalized health insurance increases intensity of utilization. Methodology: The study was conducted at AKTH, Kano, and north-western, Nigeria. The study was retrospective comparative cross-sectional study. 100 patients were enrolled, 50 for each arm. Paediatric SCD clinic outpatients’ records and a specialty designed form containing the variables of interest were used. Data were analysed using Minitab 16. Proportions, percentages, tables, charts and chi squared test were used to compare the two groups. Result: The study found no association between the two groups in the likelihood of being insured based on age (χ2 = 1.478), gender (χ2 = 0.224) and dwellings (χ2 = 0.062). On health services utilization and insurance status, the study revealed that follow up clinic visits, unscheduled clinic visits and emergency room visits were more likely among the insured group compared to the uninsured group. While the health status and insurance status of the two groups over 12 months period showed a significant association with the insured more likely to have improved health status compared to uninsured (χ2 = 28.019, p = 0.0001). Similarly, health status and health services utilization were significantly associated with insurance status (χ2 = 12.191, p = 0.002). Conclusion: The insurance status of children with SCD is associated with their health services utilization and health status. However, age, gender and dwellings were not associated with insurance status of children with SCD. Therefore, when expanding insurance coverage (NHIS) among children with SCD considerations have to be given to increase health services utilization and resultant improvement in health status as these have the potential of reducing morbidity and mortality among children with SCD.

Improving Demand for Health Services with the Involvement of Community Health Workers: A Case Study of Community Dynamics at Mosango Rural Health Zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Introduction: DRC is one of Sub-Saharan Africa country with high infant and maternal mortality. The major problem is the underuse of health services because of inaccessibility on all fronts and also the population under-information to the health and development problems. Community participation is one of the basic requirements and basic principles of the Primary Health Care to solve this problem. That is why we choose Mosango RHZ to assess the improvement of demand for health services with the involvement of community health workers. Methods: We conduct a cross-sectional study carried out in Mosango RHZ in 2019. The study combined a mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) based on the realist evaluation approach which takes into account the Context-Mechanisms-Effects explained in the conceptual framework model. Results: Four predictive factors determine the improvement of health indicators with the involvement of CHWS in activities of the Mosango RHZ: Having attended school (p = 0.000;OR = 0.150);Having sufficient theoretical knowledge on malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia, malnutrition, availability of inputs to treat these diseases (p = 0.004;OR = 0.192);Having taken the training as CHWS and Having undergone more than one training as CHW (p = 0.013;OR = 0.074). This result corroborated with other studies carried in low- and middle-income countries like DRC. Conclusion: The involvement of CHWs on improving demand for health services is effective in Mosango RHZ. The improvement of health service indicators and the effectiveness of this community intervention were conditioned by capacity building of the CHWs, the availability of inputs and the involvement of the community in the activities of the health zone through the Community Action Cells.

Elimination of schistosomiasis requires multifactorial diagnostics: evidence from high- and low-prevalence areas in the Nile Delta, Egypt

Background:Schistosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases(NTDs)selected for worldwide elimination in the near future.Egypt has made strong progress against its two endemic species of Schistosoma mansoni and S.haematobium.The former is prevalent in the Nile Delta with the latter dominating in the Nile south of Cairo.Innovative efforts are needed to reach the goal as further reduction of the prevalence has stalled due to ongoing transmission.In this study we aimed to explore the difference between low and high prevalence villages with regard to knowledge attitude and practice about schistosomiasis,utilization of health services,infection and transmission indices.Methods:A hybrid cross-sectional longitudinal study was conducted with three annual follow-ups conducted during 1994-1996.We used a representative systematic random sampling technique investigating 993 individuals from the high prevalence village and 614 from the low prevalence village.Data were analyzed using SPSS,comparing proportions with the Chi square test and means with the Student t test,and ANOVA.Results:Compliance of faecal sampling and chemotherapy was above 70%in both villages over the whole study period.Selective praziquantel treatment resulted in a significant reduction of prevalence and intensity of infection in both villages,dropping from 35.8%prevalence to 20.6%,in the low-prevalence village,and from 69.5 to 45.9%in the high-prevalence one.Intensity of infection at the base line was 30 eggs per gram(EPG)of stool in the low-prevalence village versus 105 EPG in the high-prevalence village.However,after the second round,reinfection rebounded by 22%in the high-prevalence village,while a slight improvement of the infection indices was demonstrated in the low-prevalence one.The level of knowledge was modest in both villages:people knew about self-protection and treatment,but not much about the role of human excreta for schistosomiasis transmission.While all participants maintained that using the water from the canals was inevitable,inhabitants in the high-prevalence village showed significantly lower scores reflecting higher water contact compared to the low-prevalence one.Many of them(67%)did not utilize the health centre at all compared to 26%of the people in the low-prevalence village.Interestingly,private clinics were seen as the primary source of health care by both villages,but more frequently so in the high-prevalence village(used by 87.2%of the inhabitants)compared to the low-prevalence one(59.8%).Conclusions:Even if chemotherapy works well as reflected by the observed downregulation of intensity of infection in both villages,reinfection continued due to difficulties to avoid water contact.Efforts must be made to make people understand the role of human excreta for transmission.There is also a need to make people better trust the medical services available.