TY - JOUR
T1 - Improving access to diagnostics for schistosomiasis case management in oyo state, Nigeria
T2 - Barriers and opportunities
AU - Van, G. Young
AU - Onasanya, Adeola
AU - Van Engelen, Jo
AU - Oladepo, Oladimeji
AU - Diehl, Jan Carel
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: Part of the research described has been funded by NWO-WOTRO Science for Global Develoment programme, grant number W 07.30318.009.
Funding Information:
This study was conducted as part of the interdisciplinary research project “INSPiRED”—Inclusive diagnoStics For Poverty RElated parasitic Diseases in Nigeria and Gabon funded by NWO—WOTRO Science for Global Development programme. The INSPiRED project aims to design and deliver new technical interventions for diagnostics of malaria, schistosomiasis and hookworm infection in close co-creation with local stakeholders.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2020/5
Y1 - 2020/5
N2 - Schistosomiasis is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases that affects over 200 million people worldwide, of which 29million people in Nigeria. The principal strategy for schistosomiasis in Nigeria is a control and elimination program which comprises a school-based Mass Drug Administration (MDA)with limitations of high re-infection rates and the exclusion of high-risk populations. TheWorld Health Organization (WHO) recommends guided case management of schistosomiasis (diagnostic tests or symptom-based detection plus treatment) at the Primary Health Care (PHC) level to ensure more comprehensive morbidity control. However, these require experienced personnel with sufficient knowledge of symptoms and functioning laboratory equipment. Little is known aboutwhere, bywhom and how diagnosis is performed at health facilities within the case management of schistosomiasis in Nigeria. Furthermore, there is a paucity of information on patients' health-seeking behaviour from the onset of disease symptoms until a cure is obtained. In this study, we describe both perspectives in Oyo state, Nigeria and address the barriers using adapted health-seeking stages and access framework. The opportunities for improving case management were identified, such as a prevalence study of high-risk groups, community education and screening, enhancing diagnostic capacity at the PHC through point-of-care diagnostics and strengthening the capability of health workers.
AB - Schistosomiasis is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases that affects over 200 million people worldwide, of which 29million people in Nigeria. The principal strategy for schistosomiasis in Nigeria is a control and elimination program which comprises a school-based Mass Drug Administration (MDA)with limitations of high re-infection rates and the exclusion of high-risk populations. TheWorld Health Organization (WHO) recommends guided case management of schistosomiasis (diagnostic tests or symptom-based detection plus treatment) at the Primary Health Care (PHC) level to ensure more comprehensive morbidity control. However, these require experienced personnel with sufficient knowledge of symptoms and functioning laboratory equipment. Little is known aboutwhere, bywhom and how diagnosis is performed at health facilities within the case management of schistosomiasis in Nigeria. Furthermore, there is a paucity of information on patients' health-seeking behaviour from the onset of disease symptoms until a cure is obtained. In this study, we describe both perspectives in Oyo state, Nigeria and address the barriers using adapted health-seeking stages and access framework. The opportunities for improving case management were identified, such as a prevalence study of high-risk groups, community education and screening, enhancing diagnostic capacity at the PHC through point-of-care diagnostics and strengthening the capability of health workers.
KW - Access to healthcare
KW - Barriers to diagnostics
KW - Case management
KW - End-user perspectives
KW - Neglected tropical diseases
KW - Nigeria
KW - Schistosomiasis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086016876&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/diagnostics10050328
DO - 10.3390/diagnostics10050328
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85086016876
SN - 2075-4418
VL - 10
JO - Diagnostics
JF - Diagnostics
IS - 5
M1 - 328
ER -