Healthcare workers' experiences regarding scaling up of training on integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) in Uganda, 2016: cross sectional qualitative study

• Published in: BMC health services research Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 117
• Main Authors: Nakiire, Lydia, Masiira, Ben, Kihembo, Christine, Katushabe, Edson, Natseri, Nasan, Nabukenya, Immaculate, Komakech, Innocent, Makumbi, Issa, Charles, Okot, Adatu, Francis, Nanyunja, Miriam, Nsubuga, Peter, Woldetsadik, Solomon Fisseha, Tusiime, Patrick, Yahaya, Ali Ahmed, Fall, Ibrahima Socé, Wondimagegnehu, Alemu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 13.02.2019; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Case management; Childrens health; Communicable Disease Control - organization & administration; Communicable diseases; Communicable Diseases - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Curriculum; Data analysis; Data collection; Diagnosis; Disease Outbreaks - prevention & control; Employee turnover; Epidemics; Experience; Female; Focus groups; Funding; Health care; Health facilities; Health Personnel - education; Health Personnel - psychology; Health services; Health surveillance; Healthcare workers; Hospitals; Humans; Infectious diseases; Information management; Inservice Training; Male; Medical personnel; Medical personnel training; Mentoring; Perceptions; Practice; Prevention; Professional Practice; Public health; Public Health Surveillance; Qualitative research; Regulation; Retirement benefits; Sentinel surveillance; Supervision; Surveillance; Task forces; Training; Uganda; Uganda - epidemiology; Workers; World Health Organization; Uganda; Ghana; Training; Uganda; Experience; Healthcare workers; Surveillance
• ISSN: 1472-6963; 1472-6963
• DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-3923-6

The Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy was adopted as the framework for implementation of International Health Regulation (2005) in the African region of World Health Organisation (WHO AFRO). While earlier studies documented gains in performance of core IDSR functions, Uganda still faces challenges due to infectious diseases. IDSR revitalisation programme aimed to improve prevention, early detection, and prompt response to disease outbreaks. However, little is known about health worker's perception of the revitalised IDSR training. We conducted focus group discussions of health workers who were trained between 2015 and 2016. Discussions on benefits, challenges and possible solutions for improvement of IDSR training were recorded, transcribed, translated and coded using grounded theory. In total, 22/26 FGDs were conducted. Participants cited improved completeness and timeliness of reporting, case detection and data analysis and better response to disease outbreaks as key achievements after the training. Programme challenges included an inadequate number of trained staff, funding, irregular supervision, high turnover of trained health workers, and lack of key logistics. Suggestions to improve IDSR included pre-service and community training, mentorship, regular supervision and improving funding at the district level. Health workers perceived that scaling up revitalized IDSR training in Uganda improved public health surveillance. However, they acknowledge encountering challenges that hinder their performance after the training. Ministry of Health should have a mentorship plan, integrate IDSR training in pre-service curricula and advocate for funding IDSR activities to address some of the gaps highlighted in this study.