Refugee perceptions of the quality of healthcare: findings from a participatory assessment in Ngara, Tanzania

Abstract

This article describes the findings of a participatory assessment of Burundian and Rwandan refugees' perceptions of the quality of health services in camps in Ngara, Tanzania. 2 Taking a beneficiary-centred approach, it examines a collaborative effort by several agencies to develop a generic field guide to analyse refugees' views of healthcare services. The objective was to gather information that would contribute to significant improvements in the care offered in the camps. Although the primary focus was on healthcare, several broader questions considered other general apprehensions that might influence the way refugees perceive their healthcare. Findings indicated that while refugees in Ngara were generally satisfied with the quality of healthcare provided and healthcare promotion activities, recognition of some key refugee concerns would assist healthcare providers in enhancing services. With increasing need for refugee community participation in evaluating humanitarian assistance, this assessment has relevance both in the context of Ngara and beyond.

People's perspectives and expectations on preparedness against earthquakes: Tehran case study

“…13,14 Although modern public health models offer a different perspective, they still assume individuals are rational beings and if provided with information they will behave rationally by avoiding risk and taking preventive actions. 13,14,15,16 The authoritative nature of this model encounters much resistance from the communities to participate wholeheartedly in the innovative programs. 13,14,15,16,17,18 …”

The Microphysics of Participation in Refugee Research

“…Chambers's (1994a, b, c) work on Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) has contributed to the widespread popularity of participatory research in development, which he describes as 'a family of approaches and methods to enable local (rural and urban) people to express, enhance, share and analyse their knowledge of life and conditions, to plan and to act ' (1994b: 1253). In reality, 'participatory research' refers to a wide range of practices ranging from merely confirming results with a target population after research has been conducted, to engaging beneficiaries from the start in developing conceptual ideas, and to solution identification and subsequent implementation of chosen answers (Rutta et al 2005).…”

“…More specifically, Rutta et al (2005) describe the collaborative efforts by several agencies to develop a generic field guide to analyse refugees' views of healthcare services for Burundian and Rwandan refugees in camps. Kaiser (2004) reflects on a 'beneficiary based' evaluation of UNHCR's programme for Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees in camps in Guinea, and raises the question of whether it is feasible to carry out a truly participatory evaluation of a refugee programme that has not itself been participatory in its planning and implementation.…”

Using Participatory Mapping to Inform a Community-Randomized Trial of HIV Counseling and Testing

“…In participatory mapping, emphasis is placed on local knowledge and on building relations between community members and researchers (Rambaldi, Kyem, McCall and Weiner, 2006). Participatory mapping has been adapted in the field of public health to identify malaria breeding sites (Dongus, Nyika, Kannady, Mtasiwa, Fillinger, et al, 2007), garbage burning sites (McMahan and Burke, 2007) and high sexual risk areas (Power, Langhau and Cowan, 2008) and to describe patterns of health service utilizations (Rutta, Williams, Mwansasu, Mung’ong’o, Burke et al 2005; Fletcher, Donoghue, Devavaram, Thulasiraj, Scott, Abdalla et al 1999), and patterns of mobility that may describe the spread of epidemics(Steen, Vuylsteke, DeCoito, Ralepeli, Gehler, Conley et al 2000). Transect walks, or guided tours of communities with a knowledgeable community informant, have often been used in conjunction with participatory mapping exercises, to explore in more detail some of the information that emerged during the mapping process.…”

“…Transect walks, or guided tours of communities with a knowledgeable community informant, have often been used in conjunction with participatory mapping exercises, to explore in more detail some of the information that emerged during the mapping process. Transect walks have been used to understand, barriers to health care access in a refugee camp in Ngara, Tanzania (Rutta et al, 2005), water use habits in Cape Province, South Africa (Motteux, Binns, Nel & Rowntree, 1999), and community knowledge of the use of tree species in Cameroon and the Central African Republic (Vabi, 1996). …”