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Disability and unpaid care work

CBM AUSTRALIA
2019

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This report looks at the impact of unpaid care work on disability inclusive programming and shares some practical ideas for how to address this based on experiences of CBM partners and other agencies. 

 

Programme experience discussed include:

  • Building agency and relationships: a community mobilisation approach in Jharkhand, India
  • Engaging men as care advocates in the Phillipines
  • Recognising and supporting care givers in Ghana
  • Good practice

 

Perceptions of primary caregivers about causes and risk factors of cerebral palsy in Ashanti Region, Ghana

KYEI, Ernest Appiah
DOGBE, Joslin
2019

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Purpose: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common chronic childhood disability, but in most cases the primary causes are largely unknown. The study sought to determine the perceptions about the causes and risk factors of CP among primary caregivers of children with CP in the Ashanti region of Ghana.

 

Method: A descriptive study design with a quantitative approach was used. A simple random sampling technique was adopted to select 100 participants from among the primary caregivers whose children with CP were attending the physiotherapy unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ashanti region.  A structured questionnaire was administered to the respondents and data were analysed using SPSS version 21.0.

 

Results: CP was perceived as a disease caused by witchcraft (40%), punishment from God or Gods (12%), or by being cursed (10%). More than half (54%) of the respondents did not know of any risk factor for CP.

 

Conclusion and Implications: The perceived negative causes, as well as ignorance about the risk factors for CP, could result in primary caregivers stopping their children with CP from availing of the physiotherapy services. Public education and campaigns should focus on the causes and risk factors for CP, in order to change negative perceptions and improve awareness among the general public.

Caregivers' views on stigmatisation and discrimination of people affected by leprosy in Ghana

ASAMPONG, Emmanuel
DAKO-GYEKE, Mavis
ODURO, Razak
January 2018

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In Ghana, the social interpretation of leprosy regardless of the language, culture and tradition engenders stigmatisation and discrimination that leads to social rejection and exclusion of persons who have been cured of the disease. Often, these persons are cared for by relatives who happen to live with them in a confined place. From the views of these caregivers, this paper identifies areas of stigmatising and discriminatory tendencies against people affected by leprosy who reside in a Leprosarium in Accra. A qualitative interview with semi-structured interviews were conducted for twenty caregivers.

Evaluating the impact of a community–based parent training programme for children with cerebral palsy in Ghana

ZUURMOND, Maria
et al
January 2017

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"Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of physical disability in children worldwide, and yet in most low resource settings there are few services available to support children with cerebral palsy or their families. Research is required to understand the effectiveness of community and/or home based programmes to address this gap. This 2-year study aimed to evaluate a participatory caregiver training programme called ‘Getting to know cerebral palsy’ in Ghana. The training programme consisted of a monthly half-day support group with training, and a home visit, delivered across eight sites in Ghana over 10 months. A total of 76 families and children were included at baseline and 64 families followed up one year later at endline. Children were aged between 18months and 12 years with a mean of 3.8 years and a range of severity of cerebral palsy. Nearly all (97%) the caregivers were female and the father was absent in 51% of families. The study was a pre-post intervention design using mixed methods to evaluate the impact. A baseline and endline quantitative survey was conducted to assess caregiver quality of life (QoL) and knowledge about cerebral palsy and child feeding, health, and nutrition outcomes. Qualitative data was collected to explore the impact and experiences of the training programme in more depth".

Improving Ghana’s mental healthcare through task-shifting-psychiatrists and health policy directors perceptions about government’s commitment and the role of community mental health workers

AGYAPONG, Vincent
et al
October 2016

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The aim of this study was to examine the perceptions of psychiatrists and health policy directors about the policy to expand mental health care delivery in Ghana through a system of task-shifting from psychiatrists to community mental health workers (CMHWs). A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was developed and administered to 11 psychiatrists and 29 health policy directors. Key informant interviews were also held with five psychiatrists and four health policy directors. .

Globalization and Health (2016) 12:57

DOI 10.1186/s12992-016-0199-z

Attitudes of health service providers: the perspective of Persons with Disabilities in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

BADU, Eric
OPOKU, Maxwell P
APPIAH, Seth C Y
2016

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Introduction: Awareness of disability issues has gained considerable interest by advocacy groups in recent years. However, it is uncertain whether attitudes and perceptions of all service providers and society have adjusted accordingly towards the health care of people with disabilities. This study sought to examine the attitudes of health providers from the perspective of people with disabilities in the Kumasi Metropolis.


Methods: A cross-sectional study using semi-structured questionnaires was conducted with people with disabilities (with physical, hearing and visual impairments,) in the Kumasi Metropolis. The study used a multi-stage sampling involving cluster and simple random sampling to select 255 respondents split amongst the following five clusters of communities; Oforikrom, Subin, Asewase, Tafo and Asokwa. Data were analysed using STATA 14 and presented in descriptive and inferential statistics.


Results: The study found that 71% of the respondents faced some form of discrimination including the use of derogatory remarks, frustration and unavailable required services on the basis of their disability, the type of services they need and the location. Women were 3.89 times more likely to face discrimination; Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.89 (95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.41, 10.76), and visually impaired was more likely to be discriminated at the facility compared with physical disability; AOR = 5.05 (95% CI; 1.44, 17.65). However, respondents with some educational qualification and those who stayed with their family members were less likely to face discrimination; AOR = 0.08 (95% CI; 0.01, 0.39).


Conclusion: The study recommends the provision of in-service training for service providers to update their knowledge on disability issues and improve access to services for people with disabilities.
 

Bridging the gaps between research, policy and practice in low- and middle-income countries : a survey of health care providers

GUINDON, G Emmanuel
et al
May 2010

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This article discusses the results of a survey to examine the gaps that continue to exist between research based evidence and clinical practice. Health care providers in 10 low- and middle-income countries were surveyed about their use of research-based evidence and examined factors that may facilitate or impede such use. The conclusion is that locally conducted or published research plays an important role in changing the professional practice of health care providers surveyed in low- and middle-income countries and increased investments in local research, or at least in locally adapted publications of research-based evidence from other settings, are therefore needed. Although access to the Internet was viewed as a significant factor in whether research-based evidence led to concrete changes in practice, few respondents reported having easy access to the Internet. Therefore, efforts to improve Internet access in clinical settings need to be accelerate

Quest for quality : interventions to improve human resources for health among faith-based organisations

ADJEI, George A
et al
February 2009

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"Traditionally, faith-based health organisations have been important health care providers in many remote and other under-serviced areas. Currently, these facilities bear the brunt of the competition for scarce human resources. It is important for faith-based organisations to learn from recent experiences and from the creative ways in which colleagues seek to retain their health workers and improve quality of human resource management. [As part of a]"...linking and learning programme, some faith-based umbrella organisations in Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda, and Malawi have joined forces to share their experiences in confronting the human resources crisis: by developing retention schemes, offering in-service training, task shifting, developing the planning and management skills of their staff, better coordination of salary and incentive structures with the public systems, and the development of lobbying instruments for national and international use"

Obstetric care in poor settings

MILLS, Samuel
et al
2007

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This report explores why maternal mortality continues to be so high in developing countries, and why emergency obstetric services are little utilized, through research carried out in poor areas in Ghana (Kassena-Nankana district), India (Uttar Pradesh state), and Kenya (Nairobi slums)

Gender mainstreaming in health : the possibilities and constraints of involving district-level field workers

DUNN, Alison
2004

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This policy brief concerns the involvement of district-level workers in local-level practical approaches to mainstreaming gender. This involvement is central to facilitating change and informing health strategies. MKP led a project in Ghana to facilitate district-level health management teams and district-level field workers to conduct qualitative and participatory research on gender aspects of access to health care for malaria. The results have informed strategies to improve gender equity in health at the community level

Safe motherhood initiatives : critical issues

BERER, Marge
SUNDARI RAVINDRAN, T K
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH MATTERS PROJECT
Eds
1999

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This book raises critical issues arising from the national and international policies, programmes and services whose aim is to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity. It analyses where safe motherhood initiatives stand today, what has been achieved and what remains to be done, and offers perspectives on making pregnancy, childbirth and abortion safer for women in future. The book reviews work in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda, Vietnam, India, Tanzania, Mexico, Nigeria, Bolivia, Ghana and South Africa

African Palliative Care Association

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Palliative care is seen as a vital component in the care of people with progressive, life-limiting illnesses (including HIV/AIDS). The Africa Palliative Care Association works to promote and support affordable and culturally appropriate palliative care throughout Africa, including to orphans and vulnerable children.
A pan-African organisation ensuring that palliative care is widely understood, integrated into health systems at all levels and underpinned by evidence in order to reduce pain and suffering across Africa

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