Abstract P191: Health Services Availability And Readiness For Management Of Hypertension And Diabetes In Primary Level Healthcare Facilities In Ghana

Abstract

Background: Hypertension (HTN) and diabetes (DM) are the leading cause of adult morbidity and mortality in Ghana and other African countries. We explored the service availability (SA) and readiness (SR) of health systems for managing HTN and DM in the Bono Region, Ghana. Methods: We conducted a multi-center cross-sectional study of four primary health facilities between June 2022 and July 2022. We modified the World Health Organization (WHO) Service Availability and Readiness Assessment tool to focus on management of HTN and DM. We computed composite scores for SR based on domains of functional equipment, diagnostic capacity, medications, and clinical guidelines & protocols; SA based on service-specific domains and stratified by facility ownership (Mission vs Government). At a cutoff value of 70%, services were considered "available" or facility "ready" to manage HTN and DM based on previous studies. Results: The median number of HCWs was 7 (IQR 2-7). The overall average SR and SA scores were 75.5% and 63% respectively (Fig A & B). SR scores were higher at mission hospitals (84.5%) than at government hospitals. SA scores were generally lower than SR Scores for both Mission and Government facilities. Half of the health facilities had guidelines and had CVD training in the last 2 years (n = 2; 50%), and all (n=4,100%) had received supervisory visits regarding CVD care in the last three months. Conclusion: There are gaps in diagnostic capacity, basic equipment, clinical guidelines, and a limited number of physicians accounting for low scores, particularly in government facilities. Improving resource allocation and implementing a team-based care policy may enhance HTN and DM care in Ghana .