Primary healthcare in six sub-Saharan African countries: an impact assessment using a systematic review

Received: May 11, 2019
Accepted: June 22, 2019
Ref: Awojobi ON, Abe JT, Adeniji OA. Primary healthcare in six sub-Saharan African countries: an impact assessment using a systematic review. Internet J Medical Update. 2019 January;14(1):22-29.
CrossRef Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ijmu.v14i1.5

Oladayo Nathaniel Awojobi¹, Jane Temidayo Abe², Oluwatoyin Adenike Adeniji³

¹Department of Social Security, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Sankt Augustin, Germany
²Department of Psychology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria
³Department of Physiotherapy, Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Abakaliki, Nigeria

(Corresponding Author: Oladayo Nathaniel Awojob, Department of Social Security, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Sankt Augustin, Bonn, Germany. Email: dawojobi@gmail.com)

ABSTRACT

Primary healthcare is provided in most developing and developed countries to enhance healthcare accessibility for the population. This study accesses the impact of primary healthcare in six Sub-Saharan countries. A systematic search for qualitative and quantitative studies published before the end of 2017 was conducted online. Inclusion criteria were met by 6 studies, one each from Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Five studies are peer-reviewed, and one is a working paper. Three studies reported on the impact of primary healthcare on healthcare accessibility. Four studies reported on the role healthcare resources play in enhancing primary healthcare services. Two other studies mentioned how cost-sharing mechanism led to an increase in healthcare utilization and how the reduction in user changes in all primary healthcare centers led to the reduction in out-of-pocket spending on healthcare services in a short-term. Primary healthcare offers access and utilization to healthcare services in most countries. It also offers protection against the detrimental effects of user fees. However, concerted efforts are still needed in most African countries in revitalizing the operations of primary healthcare centers for the improvement of healthcare services.

KEY WORDS: Africa; Healthcare; PHC

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