Browsing by Author "Damian, Respicius Shumbusho"

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    Essential medicine stock-outs in rural primary health care–exploring the contribution of politics and resulting perceptions in Kasulu district, Tanzania
    (International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS), 2018) Kessy, Ambrose; Bana, Benson; Damian, Respicius Shumbusho
    Stock-outs of essential medicines and medical items remains a persistent problem in Tanzania, despite the several policy initiatives and interventions since the 1990s. We conducted a qualitative case study, which involved 24 in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions with the Community Health Fund stakeholders who were facility incharges, grassroots leaders, and members of Health Facility Governance Committees from eight primary health facilities in Kasulu District Council. The analysis involved transcribing and coding textual data to identify the key themes that emerged. The study identified four main themes that explained how the politics contribute to persistent stock outs, especially: 1) stock-outs as capital in electoral politics; 2) misinformation and rent-seeking; 3) dyads among street-level bureaucrats; and 4) competition and struggle for power and control over resources. We also identified four themes reflecting the dominant perceptions associated with stock-outs in the study communities namely: 1) feeling marginalized; 2) mistrust and suspicion of authority; 3) frustration of health workers; and 4) informal drug sellers as ‘the best'. These perceptions influence the way communities tend to define their role in health care financing and governance as well as the relationship between communities and health workers. While economic, administrative, and technical forces might influence stock outs, the politics within the management and governance of the Community Health Fund, which included rent-seeking, misinformation, and competition, significantly affected the legitimacy of the Community Health Fund. The resulting low enrollment and unwillingness to contribute makes medicines’ financing from community sources unsustainable. Therefore, empowering communities to mobilize locally available resources and exercise autonomous control over financial resources and medicine is imperative for addressing persistent stock outs.