Abstract
Objectives: To determine factors that influence healthcare seeking among children with fatal and non-fatal health problems. Methods: Last disease episodes of surviving children and fatal outcomes of children under 5 years of age were investigated by means of an adapted social autopsy questionnaire administered to main caregivers. Descriptive analysis and logistic models were employed to identify key determinants of modern healthcare use. Results: Overall, 736 non-fatal and 82 fatal cases were assessed. Modern healthcare was sought for 63.9% of non-fatal and 76.8% of fatal cases, respectively. In non-fatal cases, young age, caregiver being a parent, secondary or higher education, living <5 km from a health facility, and certain clinical signs (i.e., fever, severe vomiting, inability to drink, convulsion, and inability to play) were positively associated with modern healthcare seeking. In fatal cases, only signs of lower respiratory disease were positively associated with modern healthcare seeking. A lack of awareness regarding clinical danger signs was identified in both groups. Conclusion: Interventions promoting prompt healthcare seeking and the recognition of danger signs may help improve treatment seeking in rural settings of Côte d’Ivoire and can potentially help further reduce under-five mortality.
Highlights
Despite considerable progress made over the past two decades, under-five mortality remains high in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
Different from verbal autopsies focusing on biomedical causes [11], social autopsies directly aim at determining factors contributing to health outcomes at the household, community, and health systems level
The health system is composed of a small hospital in Taabo-Cité and 10 primary healthcare centres located in the main villages
Summary
Despite considerable progress made over the past two decades, under-five mortality remains high in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Countries have committed to providing equitable access to quality care for their citizens within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda, in short), this objective remains a major challenge [1], in settings characterized by persistent socioeconomic disparities in health and access to healthcare services [2,3,4]. To reach the ambitious mortality reduction goals set in the 2030 Agenda, improvements at the health system levels will likely have to go beyond basic provision of medical care [5,6,7]. An improved understanding of these factors at different levels might aid prevention of morbidity and mortality, which seems important in the context of infectious diseases (e.g., malaria), where timely provision of quality care is essential for patient survival
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
