To What Extent Are Informal Healthcare Providers in Slums Linked to the Formal Health System in Providing Services in Sub-Sahara Africa? A 12-Year Scoping Review.

The contributions of informal providers to the urban health system and their linkage to the formal health system require more evidence. This paper highlights the collaborations that exist between informal providers and the formal health system and examines how these collaborations have contributed to strengthening urban health systems in sub-Sahara Africa. The study is based on a scoping review of literature that was published from 2011 to 2023 with a focus on slums in sub-Sahara Africa.

Stakeholders' perceptions of adolescents' sexual and reproductive health needs in Southeast Nigeria: a qualitative study.

Objectives: This study explored the perceptions of adult stakeholders on adolescents sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs, variations of perceived needs by different social stratifiers and adolescent's perceived interventions to address these needs. This will provide evidence that could be useful for policy and programme reviews for improving access and use of services in to meet the SRH needs of adolescents.

Design: A qualitative cross-sectional study was conducted in Ebonyi state, Southeast, Nigeria.

Stakeholders' perspectives and willingness to institutionalize linkages between the formal health system and informal healthcare providers in urban slums in southeast, Nigeria.

Background: The widely available informal healthcare providers (IHPs) present opportunities to improve access to appropriate essential health services in underserved urban areas in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, they are not formally linked to the formal health system. This study was conducted to explore the perspectives of key stakeholders about institutionalizing linkages between the formal health systems and IHPs, as a strategy for improving access to appropriate healthcare services in Nigeria.

Who benefits from tuberculosis outpatient services in Enugu state, Nigeria? A benefit incidence analysis.

Objectives: Nigeria is one of the 30 high-burden countries for TB and currently, recurrent costs of TB treatment services are largely dependent on donor-funding, with government providing the health facilities. This study aims to assess the benefit incidence of TB treatment services so as to determine if the poor and rural dwellers preferentially benefit from such services that were subsidized by government and donors.

Methods: A survey of patients (n = 202) accessing TB treatment services was conducted between 2019 and 2020 in five purposively selected rural and urban health facilities in Enugu state.

Stakeholders' Perspectives on the Unmet Needs and Health Priorities of the Urban Poor in South-East Nigeria.

Relatively little is known about readiness of urban health systems to address health needs of the poor. This study explored stakeholders' perception of health needs and strategies for improving health of the urban poor using qualitative analysis. Focus group discussions (n = 5) were held with 26 stakeholders drawn from two Nigerian states during a workshop.

Examining the distribution of benefits of a free Maternal and Child Health programme in Enugu State, Nigeria: a benefit incidence analysis.

Objective: To determine the population groups that benefit from a Free Maternal and Child Health (FMCH) programme in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, so as to understand the equity effects of the programme.

Method: A community-based survey was conducted in rural and urban local government areas (LGAs) to aid the benefit incidence analysis (BIA) of the FMCH. Data were elicited from 584 randomly selected women of childbearing age.

Does improving the skills of researchers and decision-makers in health policy and systems research lead to enhanced evidence-based decision making in Nigeria?-A short term evaluation.

Introduction: Health care decision makers require capacity to demand and use research evidence for effective decision making. Capacity to undertake health policy and systems research (HPSR) and teaching is low in developing countries. Strengthening the capacity of producers and users of research is a more sustainable strategy for developing the field of HPSR in Africa, than relying on training in high-income countries.

Impact of capacity building interventions on individual and organizational competency for HPSR in endemic disease control in Nigeria: a qualitative study.

Background: The need to build capacity for health policy and systems research (HPSR) in low- and middle-income countries has been underscored as this encompasses the processes of decision-making at all levels of the health system. This implementation research project was undertaken in Southeast Nigeria to evaluate whether the capacity-building intervention improves the capacity to produce and use research evidence for decision making in endemic disease control.

Methods: Three training workshops were organized for purposively selected participants comprising "producers of evidence" such as health research scientists in three universities and "users of evidence" such as policy makers, program managers, and implementers in the public health sector.

Characteristics and Effects of Multiple and Mixed Funding Flows to Public Healthcare Facilities on Financing Outcomes: A Case Study From Nigeria.

Most public hospitals in Nigeria are usually financed by funding flows from different health financing mechanisms, which could potentially trigger different provider behaviors that can affect the health system goals of efficiency, equity, and quality of care. The study examined how healthcare providers respond to multiple funding flows and the implications of such flows for achieving equity, efficiency, and quality. A cross-sectional qualitative study of selected healthcare providers and purchasers in Enugu state was used.

Building the capacity of users and producers of evidence in health policy and systems research for better control of endemic diseases in Nigeria: a situational analysis.

Background: There is a current need to build the capacity of Health Policy and Systems Research + Analysis (HPSR+A) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) as this enhances the processes of decision-making at all levels of the health system. This paper provides information on the HPSR+A knowledge and practice among producers and users of evidence in priority setting for HPSR+A regarding control of endemic diseases in two states in Nigeria. It also highlights the HPSR+A capacity building needs and interventions that will lead to increased HPSR+A and use for actual policy and decision making by the government and other policy actors.

Acceptability and willingness to pay for telemedicine services in Enugu state, southeast Nigeria.

Background: This study examines the level of awareness, acceptability and consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for telemedicine services using the contingent valuation method (CVM). This work is important as it elicits the value that consumers attach to telemedicine given there is a gap in this knowledge in many sub-Saharan countries such as in Nigeria.

Methods: The study was based on primary data obtained through an interviewer-administered questionnaire of 370 individuals including both males and females from 25 years and over, to collect data on respondents' awareness of, acceptability of, and WTP for telemedicine, using the bidding game question format.