Browsing by Author "Barron, Peter"

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    Open Access
    District health systems development : functional integration at joint primary health care facilities in the Western Cape
    (2002) Leon, Natalie H; Barron, Peter
    South Africa has embarked on a range of health sector reforms since the start of the democratic government in 1994. The Primary Health Care approach has been accepted as a way of delivering cost effective, efficient and accessible comprehensive health care at the primary care level. The district health system has been promoted as the best model for the delivery of primary health care because it decentralizes power to the local, district level and it is able to integrate fragmented primary care services under one management and governance structure. In the absence of a formal, legal district health system, provincial and local government authorities have made efforts towards functional integration in primary health care. The establishment of shared health facilities with the aim of providing integrated, comprehensive health care is part of the effort towards functional integration. This study investigates the level of functional integration in joint health facilities between Local Authority (LA) and the Provincial Administration of the Western Cape (PAWC).
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    An evaluation of the implementation of the 3-tiered ART monitoring system in South Africa
    (2016) White, Catherine; Boulle, Andrew; Barron, Peter
    Background and Purpose: South Africa has the largest public antiretroviral (ART) service in the world but until recently it was unable to report from primary sources the numbers of patients on ART and was unable to monitor the program outcomes using routine data. In December 2010 the South Africa National Department of Health adopted a standardized ART monitoring strategy referred to as the 3-Tiered Strategy. The System provides facilities with different options for cohort monitoring based on the resources and infrastructure available. The technical design of the three tiers is pragmatic and appropriate to the facility-level context. The process to implement the System was articulated through an implementation plan. The health management information system was aligned to collate data produced by the System and standard operating procedures were produced to guide system use. Methods: The study comprised a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the implementation of the system in accordance with the implementation plan. Program data were analysed, program documents were reviewed and key informants were interviewed in order to capture the complex and multidimensional nature of the countrywide implementation activities. Results: By October 2014 full implementation had been achieved in 2,139 ART facilities, of a total 3,772 facilities that report ART data. And, of facilities that had reached full implementation, 87% of facilities had submitted data. At the time of analysis, the outcome data available were representative of 55% of active patients on ART. Qualitative results elicited facility-level challenges as well as structural barriers to effective implementation. The study demonstrated that South Africa's introduction of the 3-Tiered Strategy for ART monitoring was championed by senior management in the NDOH who fostered a collaborative environment and structured implementation approach which resulted in wide-scale uptake of the recommended systems, predominantly the electronic register. Conclusions: The implementation of a basics first health information system has yielded a complete set of enrolment and retention on ART data; however there are systemic and structural barriers to the sustainable production of these and additional cohort outcome data. The study has brought attention to the organizational restructuring and the holistic health system interventions required to implement such a system.
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    Reported infant feeding practices and contextual influences on breastfeeding: qualitative interviews with women registered to MomConnect in three South African provinces
    (2020-09-14) Trafford, Zara; Jewett, Sara; Swartz, Alison; LeFevre, Amnesty E; Winch, Peter J; Colvin, Christopher J; Barron, Peter; Bamford, Lesley
    Abstract Background Global guidelines recommend exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months of life. South African EBF rates have steadily increased but still only average 32% for infants below 6 months of age. Malnutrition and developmental delays continue to contribute substantially to the morbidity and mortality of South African children. MomConnect, a national mHealth messaging system used to send infant and maternal health messages during and after pregnancy, has a specific focus on improving rates of breastfeeding and has achieved high rates of population coverage. Methods For this qualitative study, we interviewed women who were registered to MomConnect to investigate their breastfeeding and other infant feeding practices, decision-making pre- and post-delivery, and the role of the health system, family members and the wider community in supporting or detracting from breastfeeding intentions. Data were collected from February–March 2018 in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Gauteng provinces. Framework analysis was conducted to identify common themes. Results Most women interviewed had breastfed, including HIV-positive women. Even when women had delivered by caesarean section, they had usually been able to initiate breastfeeding a few hours after birth. Understandings of EBF varied in thoroughness and there was some confusion about the best way to cease breastfeeding. Most women felt well-equipped to make infant feeding decisions and to stick to their intentions, but returning to work or school sometimes prevented 6 months of EBF. Advice from the health system (both via clinics and MomConnect) was considered helpful and supportive in encouraging EBF to 6 months, although family influences could thwart these intentions, especially for younger women. Mothers reported a range of breastfeeding information sources that influenced their choices, including social media. Conclusions Efforts to improve EBF rates must include consideration of the social and economic environment surrounding women. Interventions that focus only on improving women’s knowledge are valuable but insufficient on their own. Attention should also be paid to infant behaviors, and how these affect women’s breastfeeding choices. Finally, although there is strong local policy support for EBF, more rigorous implementation of these and other broader changes to create a more enabling structural environment ought to be prioritized.