Policies for type 2 diabetes and non-communicable disease management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya and Tanzania: a desk review and views of decision-makers.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in care that adversely affected the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) globally. Countries have responded in various ways to support people with NCDs during the pandemic. This study aimed to identify policy gaps, if any, in the management of NCDs, particularly diabetes, during COVID-19 in Kenya and Tanzania to inform recommendations for priority actions for NCD management during any future similar crises.

Demand and supply-side barriers and opportunities to enhance access to healthcare for urban poor populations in Kenya: a qualitative study.

Objective: To explore the barriers to and options for improving access to quality healthcare for the urban poor in Nairobi, Kenya.

Design And Participants: This was a qualitative approach. In-depth interviews (n=12), focus group discussions with community members (n=12) and key informant interviews with health providers and policymakers (n=25) were conducted between August 2019 and September 2020.

COVID-19 and community healthcare: perspectives from Nairobi's informal settlements.

Urban slums are often characterized by overcrowding, inaccessibility of basic services such as running water and abject poverty. These may affect adherence to COVID-19 containment measures and worsen the effect of the virus on slum residents. We explore the overall practices and impact of the COVID-19 mitigation measures on the lives of Nairobi's urban poor.

Challenges and prospects for implementation of community health volunteers' digital health solutions in Kenya: a qualitative study.

Background: The value of digital health technologies in delivering vital health care interventions, especially in low resource settings is increasingly appreciated. We co-developed and tested a decision support mobile health (m-Health) application (app);with some of the forms used by Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) in Kenya to collect data and connected to health facilities. This paper explores the experiences of CHVs, health workers and members of Sub-County Health Management Teams following implementation of the project.

Impact of the societal response to COVID-19 on access to healthcare for non-COVID-19 health issues in slum communities of Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan: results of pre-COVID and COVID-19 lockdown stakeholder engagements.

Introduction: With COVID-19, there is urgency for policymakers to understand and respond to the health needs of slum communities. Lockdowns for pandemic control have health, social and economic consequences. We consider access to healthcare before and during COVID-19 with those working and living in slum communities.

Persistent barriers to the use of maternal, newborn and child health services in Garissa sub-county, Kenya: a qualitative study.

Background: North Eastern Kenya has persistently had poor maternal, new-born and child health (MNCH) indicators. Barriers to access and utilisation of MNCH services are structural, individual and community-level factors rooted in sociocultural norms. A package of interventions was designed and implemented in Garissa sub-County aimed at creating demand for services.

Factors associated with use of injectables, long-acting and permanent contraceptive methods (iLAPMs) among married women in Zambia: analysis of demographic and health surveys, 1992-2014.

Background: Zambia, with its women having five children on average, is one of the countries in sub-Saharan African with the highest fertility rates. As the country works on expanding its reproductive health programs, this analysis sought to understand factors behind the current utilisation of injectable, long acting and permanent methods (iLAPMs) of contraception.

Methods: Cross-sectional secondary data drawn from the Zambia Demographic and Health Surveys (ZDHS) were used.