Strengthening the Health System as a Strategy to Achieving a Universal Health Coverage in Underprivileged Communities in Africa: A Scoping Review

Anelisa Jaca, Thobile Malinga, Chinwe Juliana Iwu-Jaja, Chukwudi Arnest Nnaji, Joseph Chukwudi Okeibunor, Dorcas Kamuya and Charles Shey Wiysonge
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Anelisa Jaca: Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
Thobile Malinga: Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
Chinwe Juliana Iwu-Jaja: Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
Chukwudi Arnest Nnaji: Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
Joseph Chukwudi Okeibunor: World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo
Dorcas Kamuya: Department of Health Systems and Research Ethics, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi 43640-00100, Kenya
Charles Shey Wiysonge: Cochrane South Africa, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 8000, South Africa

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-21

Abstract: Universal health coverage (UHC) is defined as people having access to quality healthcare services (e.g., treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care) they need, irrespective of their financial status. Access to quality healthcare services continues to be a challenge for many people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review to map out the health system strengthening strategies that can be used to attain universal health coverage in Africa. We conducted a scoping review and qualitatively synthesized existing evidence from studies carried out in Africa. We included studies that reported interventions to strengthen the health system, e.g., financial support, increasing work force, improving leadership capacity in health facilities, and developing and upgrading infrastructure of primary healthcare facilities. Outcome measures included health facility infrastructures, access to medicines, and sources of financial support. A total of 34 studies conducted met our inclusion criteria. Health financing and developing health infrastructure were the most reported interventions toward achieving UHC. Our results suggest that strengthening the health system, namely, through health financing, developing, and improving the health infrastructure, can play an important role in reaching UHC in the African context.

Keywords: universal health coverage; health systems; low- and middle-income countries; African countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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