Factors Affecting Health Workers in Implementation of EMTCT Services at Bushenyi Health Centre IV Bushenyi District

Abstract

This study focused on factors affecting health workers in the implementation of EMTCT services at Bushenyi Health Centre IV. The objectives of the study were, to find out the health worker-based factors affecting health workers in the implementation of EMTCT services, to establish maternal-based factors affecting health workers in the implementation of EMTCT services and to assess mothers, knowledge in relation to participating in EMTCT services at Bushenyi health centre IV. The study was carried out at Bushenyi Health centre IV which is located in Bushenyi municipality in Bushenyi district which basically serves people from Bushenyi district with a few others from neighbouring districts. It was descriptive and crosssectional in which quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used and the study included health workers offering EMTCT services to the mother and mothers receiving EMTCT services who were around during the period of the study. The study found that 81.25%, of the health workers, had ever attained an EMTCT reinforcement workshop and only 3(18.75%) had not attended any workshop of that nature since they were transferred to Bushenyi health centre IV. The study found out that a bigger percentage of mothers at 93.75% have knowledge on various methods in which HIV can spread from the mother to the baby and only 6.25 percentage said she didn’t know of such ways and regarding knowledge on importance of VCT, study found out that all the 16 mothers who took part in the study knew that its of health importance to attend a VCT, but they didn’t have a detailed information about how EMTCT could help a mother who is found HIV positive. In conclusion, from the study health workers and mothers who participated in the study acknowledge that EMTCT is an essential service to the health of the mother and the baby, but is being hindered by fore mentioned challenges which are controllable if timely intervention is put in place. The following are therefore recommendations made for a better EMTCT service delivery, the government through the ministry of health should organize more workshops and short course training on EMTCT to enable health workers to acquire knowledge of the service also the government should sensitize people through public media to make use of EMTCT services from health facilities, the management of Bushenyi health centre IV should make outreaches for EMTCT services to mothers who may be able to come to the health facility quite often, health workers should always do follow up on their EMTCT clients so as to reduce the number of defaulters and lastly pregnant mothers should be encouraged to attend ANC services in which those who need EMTCT services can be identified. Keywords: EMTCT services, health workers, Pregnant mothers, HIV positive, Health facility