The potential impact of a cataract surgery programme on the care of orphans and vulnerable children in Swaziland

Pons, Jonathan; Mapham, William; Newsome, Bradley J.; Myer, Landon; Anderson, Roy M.; Courtright, Paul; Cook, Colin

doi:10.7196/samj.5568

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…2 The WHO classified Swaziland as one of 35 countries in Africa, and 57 in the world, with a shortage of Human Resource for Health (HRH). The prevalence of blindness is estimated to be approximately 1%, 3 while the epidemiology of eye conditions, not only for children but the entire population, remains unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A situational analysis of eye care services in Swaziland

Sukati

Moodley

Mashige

2018

J Public Health Afr

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Compared to other African countries, Swaziland performs the worst in terms of providing eye health care services. A priority goal of the World Health Organization (WHO) is to alleviate childhood blindness, particularly in low-income countries such as Swaziland, where many people live in poverty, which is a contributor to poor health outcomes. A mixed method approach that entailed a document review, key informant interviews and clinical facility assessment questionnaires was used. Hospitals and mission clinics offering ophthalmic services were identified through the website of the Ministry of Health and verified during key informant interviews. A saturated sampling procedure was applied due to the few facilities that offer eye care services. Six framework components from the WHO for analysing health systems were utilised in an eye health care service context: leadership and governance, eye health services, eye health workforce, eye health financing systems, eye health medical supplies and technologies, and eye health information systems. Poor management, lack of accountability, poor monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, weak coordination and ineffective private-public sector regulations were identified as factors that lead to poor eye care in the country. The optometrists indicated that refractive services are the most rendered ophthalmic services. The exodus of healthcare practitioners has contributed to the downfall of the public health sector in the country. Five government eye care facilities, 3 government hospitals, 1 non-governmental organization (NGO) and a church mission clinic were included in this analysis. The eye services distribution favors the more affluent areas, particularly the more urban Hhohho Region, which is also where most of the eye health professionals are located. No campaigns have been conducted to prevent childhood blinding diseases or create awareness about getting children’s eyes tested for refractive correction. The burden of eye diseases among children in Swaziland remains unknown. More eye health care personnel and equipped facilities are needed throughout the country, and the eye health care program needs to be adopted.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A situational analysis of eye care services in Swaziland

Sukati

Moodley

Mashige

2018

J Public Health Afr

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“…9 The prevalence of blindness in Swaziland is estimated to be approximately 1% with no specification among children as well as its economic and social burdens. 10 The population of Swaziland is approximately 1.1 million with 44% made up of children. 11 Most of its citizens rely on the public sector for health care services, 12,13 including eye care.…”

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confidence: 99%

Knowledge and practices of eye health professionals about the availability and accessibility of child eye care services in the public sector in Swaziland

Sukati

Moodley

Mashige

2019

Afr. vis. eye health

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Background: International and African rights instruments stipulate that children have the right to access quality general and eye health care. Lack of access to quality eye care can have a significant negative impact on the child, family and society in general.Aim: To determine the knowledge and practices of eye care professionals about the availability and accessibility of child eye care services in the public sector in Swaziland.Setting: The study was conducted in Swaziland.Methods: This was a quantitative study design, and 15 public eye health professionals completed and returned the Questionnaire for Eye Health Professionals (QEHP).Results: Thirteen (86.7%) eye health practitioners reported that both standard practice guidelines and paediatric national guidelines for ophthalmic services were unavailable. The majority (66.7%) identified cost and unawareness of available services by parents as the most common barrier to accessing eye care services. Nine (60%) felt that they were less informed about eye health problems and 6 (40%) reported being well informed. Eight (53.3%) respondents indicated that there were no outreach programmes and 7 (46.7%) reported that their clinics offered these services. Thirteen (86.7%) eye health practitioners indicated that they were not part of teachers’ training for supporting visually impaired children, while 2 (13%) reported that they were.Conclusion: Formulation of guidelines to support eye health care service delivery in Swaziland is essential in order to improve availability, accessibility, affordability and effectiveness in the public health system.

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“…Reputation of GSHEC was also not influential in the uptake of surgical services in this study, suggesting that systems already implemented are effective. 43 The good reputation of GSHEC is important to maintain in order to not see a rise in non-attendance rates to surgical services.…”

Section: Travel Difficultymentioning

confidence: 99%