Community Health Providers Research Articles

Establishment of the Community Mental Health Centres in Uganda Communities: Challenges and Prospects

The establishment of Community Mental Health Centres has been a vital prospect in the area of mental health care. Community mental health centres attempt to shift emphasis away from hospitalization and introduce new remedies to mental health problems. The flow chart method was used in this opinion paper for clarity. Usually, community mental health centres provide short-term treatments, outpatient care, and special crisis intervention or emergency services. There are challenges and prospects the Ministry of Health and other health care providers need to address to find a lasting solution for the establishment and continued existence of these centres in Uganda. The employment of healthcare professionals that will guarantee quality assurance and effective healthcare delivery in these centres is very necessary. The challenges of professional discrimination also need to be effectively addressed in order to have an enduring therapeutic milieu for mentally challenged patients. Recommendations were made that the Ugandan government through her Ministry of Health should establish and provide community health centres and halfway homes for the emergency and effective treatments of mentally challenged individuals.

Brief report: Evaluation of an adapted youth version of Parents Taking Action for parents of pre/adolescents with autism spectrum disorder in Colombia.

We evaluated the efficacy of the youth version of the program Parents Taking Action in Bogota, Colombia. This program aims to provide information, resources, and strategies about topics of puberty, sexuality, and adolescence for parents of preadolescents with autism spectrum disorder. We examined whether parents in the treatment groups would improve in levels of knowledge, empowerment, self-efficacy, and use of strategies compared to the control group. We recruited two groups of Colombian parents of pre/adolescent with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 10 and 17 in the city of Bogota, Colombia, through a community-based organization. One of the groups received the intervention and the other served as a control group. Parents in the control group received the intervention after the 4-month follow-up. The intervention included four 3-h weekly sessions in which the curriculum with nine topic areas was delivered providing parents with a space to practice strategies, learn from others, and set goals. Parents in the intervention group reported significantly greater knowledge, self-efficacy, use of strategies, and empowerment compared to the control/waitlist group. Parents were also highly satisfied with the content, materials, and peer connections that the program offered. The program has potential for high impact as information is scarce and parents do not have resources related to the complicated developmental stages of pre/adolescence. The program shows promise as an efficacious tool for community organizations and health providers to provide extra support to families of youth with autism spectrum disorder.

Community participation in the health system: analyzing the implementation of community health committee policies in Kenya.

Community health committees (CHCs) are a mechanism for communities to voluntarily participate in making decisions and providing oversight of the delivery of community health services. For CHCs to succeed, governments need to implement policies that promote community participation. Our research aimed to analyze factors influencing the implementation of CHC-related policies in Kenya. Using a qualitative study design, we extracted data from policy documents and conducted 12 key informant interviews with health workers and health managers in two counties (rural and urban) and the national Ministry of Health. We applied content analysis for both the policy documents and interview transcripts and summarized the factors that influenced the implementation of CHC-related policies. Since the inception of the community health strategy, the roles of CHCs in community participation have been consistently vague. Primary health workers found the policy content related to CHCs challenging to translate into practice. They also had an inadequate understanding of the roles of CHCs, partly because policy content was not adequately disseminated at the primary healthcare level. It emerged that actors involved in organizing and providing community health services did not perceive CHCs as valuable mechanisms for community participation. County governments did not allocate funds to support CHC activities, and policies focused more on incentivizing community health volunteers (CHVs) who, unlike CHCs, provide health services at the household level. CHVs are incorporated in CHCs. Kenya's community health policy inadvertently created role conflict and competition for resources and recognition between community health workers involved in service delivery and those involved in overseeing community health services. Community health policies and related bills need to clearly define the roles of CHCs. County governments can promote the implementation of CHC policies by including CHCs in the agenda during the annual review of performance in the health sector.

Critical perspectives on rehabilitation education, practice and process: northern Honduras case study

BackgroundRehabilitation services are an integral part of patient care, but in many developing countries, they are not prioritized and either unavailable or easily accessible to those who need them. Although the need for rehabilitation services is increasing in Honduras, rehabilitation workers are not included in the health care model that guides the care provided to communities, particularly in rural and remote areas. To understand the need for providing impactful rehabilitation services in disadvantaged communities, we explored the education and perception of the community relating to rehabilitation, investigated training available for rehabilitation workers, and examined the rehabilitation processes and practices in Northern Honduras from stakeholders’ experiences.MethodsWe utilized a qualitative descriptive and interpretive approach grounded in case study methodology to understand rehabilitation education, process, and practice in Northern Honduras. Three rehabilitation centres were purposefully selected as the cases, and participants consisted of rehabilitation workers and managers from these centres. We collected data via interviews and focus group sessions. We analyzed the data via thematic analysis using NVivo version 12.ResultsIn Northern Honduras, rehabilitation workers' limited training and continuing education, along with awareness about rehabilitation by community members and other health providers influence rehabilitation care. Although policies and initiatives to support people with disabilities and the broader community in need of rehabilitation exist, most policies are not applied in practice. The sustainability of rehabilitation services, which is rooted in charity, is challenged by the small range of funding opportunities strongly affecting rehabilitation care processes and clinical practices. The lack of trust and awareness from the medical profession towards rehabilitation workers sets a major barrier to referrals, interdisciplinary work, and quality of life for individuals in need of rehabilitation.ConclusionThis study advances knowledge of the need to increase understanding of rehabilitation care among community members and health providers, improve care processes and resources, and foster interprofessional practice, to enhance the quality of care and promote equitable care delivery, especially in rural and remote communities.

Using participatory action research to reimagine community mental health services in Colombia: a mixed-method study protocol

IntroductionMental healthcare systems are challenged by how they hear and respond to what marginalised communities experience as drivers of mental distress. In Colombia, this challenge intersects with wider challenges facing...

Healthier Lives Implementation Research Network for Māori and Pacific community health providers in Aotearoa New Zealand: a study protocol with an observational mixed methods design

BackgroundDespite incremental gains in the Aotearoa New Zealand health sector, Māori and Pacific peoples still experience poorer health outcomes than non-Māori and non-Pacific. Access to the latest research and innovation is critical to improving and addressing health outcomes and health inequities in particular. However, there are numerous challenges to translating research into practice including that there is currently no known a specific infrastructure in Aotearoa New Zealand to facilitate this process. The aim of the project is to develop a network of community providers, researchers and health systems representatives that can help facilitate the implementation of novel and innovative programmes and products that help to meet the health needs of Māori and Pacific communities.MethodsThis project has three stages, one of which has been completed. In Stage 1, we engaged with key leaders of organisations from various components in the health system through a co-design process to identify parameters and infrastructure of the network. In Stage 2, we propose to construct the network involving approximately 20–30 community providers (and other affiliated researchers and health system representatives) and refine its parameters through an additional co-design process. Additionally, we will use a mixed methods research design using survey and interviews to identify perceived implementation needs, facilitators and barriers to help inform the work in the third stage. In Stage 3, we will support the active implementation of evidence-based programmes with a smaller number of providers (approximately four to eight community providers depending on the complexity of the implementation). Mixed methods research will be conducted to understand facilitators and barriers to implementation processes and outcomes.DiscussionThe proposed network infrastructure is an equity-oriented strategy focused on building capacity through a strength-based approach that can help address inequities over time. Our “proof-of-concept” study will not be able to change inequities in that time period given its relatively small scale and time period, but it should set the foundation for continued equity-oriented work.

Community-centred oral healthcare for adults experiencing homelessness in Australia: Perceptions and experiences of key stakeholders.

The objective of the study was to identify whether creating a responsive, respectful and trustworthy environment that provides free dental care for clients who are homeless using volunteer dental professionals was effective in meeting their oral health needs in Fremantle, Western Australia. Qualitative research conducted between October 2018 and August 2019 was guided by a social constructivist paradigm to gather and analyse data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with adults experiencing homelessness accessing a community dental clinic and health providers and other stakeholders involved in its establishment, management and service delivery. An inductive approach to analysis was used to organise themes under the categories of 'establishing the oral health clinic' (OHC) and 'responses to the implementation of the clinic' Thirty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted across eight participant groups: clients, executive management, the oral health clinical reference group, volunteer dentists, employed staff, nursing students, volunteer staff and other stakeholders. Key findings across all groups included positive responses to the establishment and implementation of the OHC, the quality of care and the safe and respectful environment in which services were delivered. Challenges related to sustainability include uncertainty around ongoing funding and recruitment of dental professionals. Whilst volunteer dental services fill a gap in meeting the complex needs of this population group, mainstream services must consider and address issues of equity in this context. Findings can be used to guide this process that includes creating environments of respect and trust where adults who are homeless or at risk of homelessness feel safe, welcomed and more likely to return to the service.

Patient perspectives on naloxone receipt in the emergency department: a qualitative exploration

BackgroundEmergency departments (EDs) are important venues for the distribution of naloxone to patients at high risk of opioid overdose, but less is known about patient perceptions on naloxone or best practices for patient education and communication. Our aim was to conduct an in-depth exploration of knowledge and attitudes toward ED naloxone distribution among patients who received a naloxone prescription.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 25 adult participants seen and discharged from three urban, academic EDs in Philadelphia, PA, with a naloxone prescription between November 2020 and February 2021. Interviews focused on awareness of naloxone as well as attitudes and experiences receiving naloxone in the ED. We used thematic content analysis to identify key themes reflecting patient attitudes and experiences.ResultsOf the 25 participants, 72% had previously witnessed an overdose and 48% had personally experienced a non-fatal overdose. Nineteen participants (76%) self-disclosed a history of substance use or overdose, and one reported receiving an opioid prescription during their ED visit and no history of substance use. In interviews, we identified wide variability in participant levels of knowledge about overdose risk, the role of naloxone in reducing risk, and naloxone access. A subset of participants was highly engaged with community harm reduction resources and well versed in naloxone access and use. A second subset was familiar with naloxone, but largely obtained it through healthcare settings such as the ED, while a final group was largely unfamiliar with naloxone. While most participants expressed positive attitudes about receiving naloxone from the ED, the quality of discussions with ED providers was variable, with some participants not even aware they were receiving a naloxone prescription until discharge.ConclusionsNaloxone prescribing in the ED was acceptable and valued by most participants, but there are missed opportunities for communication and education. These findings underscore the critical role that EDs play in mitigating risks for patients who are not engaged with other healthcare or community health providers and can inform future work about the effective implementation of harm reduction strategies in ED settings.

Health literacy training program for community healthcare providers using hybrid online team-based learning in Taiwan

BackgroundHealth literacy (HL) has proven to be a determining factor influencing the health of individuals. Community health providers (CHPs) work on the front line of improving public HL. Increasing their understanding of HL and their ability to incorporate HL into healthcare can reduce obstacles in healthcare services. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an HL training program for CHP by using the hybrid online team-based learning (TBL) model.MethodsA quasi-experimental study and focused group interviews were conducted. We developed a six weeks HL online course for CHPs. The program included teaching videos for pre-class preparation, a 90-min online TBL model, and a case discussion in the last two weeks. Team application activities were designed for each class to enhance knowledge application. A total of 81 CHPs from 20 public health centers took the course and provided complete data for analysis. Learning effectiveness was evaluated based on the familiarity, attitude, and confidence in implementing HL practices, course satisfaction, and participants’ learning experiences.ResultsThe comparison showed that the participants’ familiarity with HL (4.29 ± 1.76 vs 6.92 ± 1.52, p < .001), attitude (7.39 ± 1.88 vs 8.10 ± 1.44, p = .004), and confidence in implementing HL practices (6.22 ± 1.48 vs 7.61 ± 1.34, p < .001) increased after the course. The average satisfaction with the teaching strategies was 4.06 ± .53 points, the average helpfulness to practice was 4.13 ± .55 points, and the overall feedback on satisfaction with learning was 4.06 ± .58 points (the full score was 5 points). According to the learning experience of the 20 participants in the focus group discussion, the experiences of teaching strategies and the learning experiences of the HL course were summed up into two categories, seven themes, and 13 subthemes. The results showed a positive experience with the hybrid online TBL program.ConclusionThe use of hybrid online TBL model is a feasible and valid approach for the HL training of CHPs. The result can serve as a reference for the on-the-job training of various healthcare workers.

The viability of utilising phone-based text messages in data capture and reporting morbidities due to lymphatic Filariasis by community health workers: a qualitative study in Kilwa district, Tanzania

BackgroundGlobally, there is recognition of the value of using mobile phones among health providers in improving health systems performance. However, in many Low- and Middle-income countries where there is shortage of health providers, Community Health Workers have assumed some responsibilities especially relating to identifying and reporting on health problems within their communities. Despite the known benefits of using mobile phone technology to deliver health services, there is limited information on the extent to which Community Health Workers are able to effectively use the technology in data collection and reporting. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of utilizing phone-based text messages on Lymphatic Filariasis morbidity surveillance by Community Health Workers.MethodsThis was a cross sectional study whose data was collected through key informant interviews and focused group discussions among community health workers, health providers and staff of neglected tropical diseases control program. Collected transcripts were analysed through Thematic content analysis as it allowed for the identification of data codes through inductive reasoning.ResultsThe use of mobile phone-based text messages in data collection and reporting lymphatic filariasis morbidity cases by Community Health Workers was perceived by study participants to be a relevant tool and feasible due to the ease of use of the technology. The tool was reported by end-users to significantly increase their performance and efficiency was gained in terms of reduced paper work, increased the number of patients accessing health care services and the ability to report in real-time. All respondents were confident that Community Health Workers were the right persons to interact with communities in tracking and reporting morbidity cases using mobile technology.ConclusionMobile phone-based text messages have proven to be effective in routine workflows such as, data collection and reporting on Lymphatic Filariasis morbidity cases, patient to provider communication, decision making and supportive supervision. Mobile phones have also improved efficiency and general performance of end users in terms of increased number of cases identified and efficiency gained in terms of reduced paper work and the ability to collect and report in real-time.

Bioethics in Community Health

AbstractWhat keeps community health providers up at night? And how should bioethics evolve to meet the needs of these providers? Hastings Center research scholar Nancy Berlinger introduces a new project and line of research and public‐facing work at The Hastings Center to explore ethical challenges that arise in primary and preventative health care for medically underserved communities, where ethical challenges often reflect the health consequences of social inequalities.

Data Sharing Between Jail and Community Health Systems: Missing Links and Lessons for Re-Entry Success.

Data sharing and interoperability between jail systems and community health providers are critical for successful re-entry of incarcerated individuals into the mainstream community. Using a case study approach, we present an account of interoperability efforts between jail and community health systems in the County of Orange (California, USA), including the overall infrastructure comprising of the jail management system, jail health system, and the community health system. We also describe outcomes and lessons from the Jail to Community Re-entry Program implemented in the County of Orange, along with recommendations and common data elements required for effective care transitions from custody to community.

Effects of Team-Based Learning on Students' Teamwork, Learning Attitude, and Health Care Competence for Older People in the Community to Achieve SDG-3.

Background: Team-based learning (TBL) was studied in several preclinical settings, but evidence for its effectiveness in community nursing education is scant. A community health care nursing course was developed, and nursing students engaged in TBL to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3. Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of TBL model integration on students’ learning attitude, community understanding, and community care competence for achieving SDG 3 and determine the extent to which the TBL model altered students’ nursing competence for providing community health care. We compared the effect of TBL and traditional learning (TL) in terms of community health care knowledge objectives. Methods: TBL was employed as the teaching strategy to guide students’ discussion of community care issues, allowing them to fully utilize the knowledge acquired in their community practice. We used an unblinded crossover design, and 99 students participated in the community health nursing course. Results: The results demonstrated that TBL improved participants’ community understanding and enhanced their skills for assessing and fulfilling community needs. The experimental and control groups differed significantly in their TBL performance, learning attitude, and nursing competencies. The performance of those who engaged in TBL was higher than that of those who engaged in TL on all community issues. TBL appears to be a more effective method than TL in terms of achieving nursing students’ knowledge objectives. Conclusions: Regarding practical application, the proposed intervention enables nursing students to acquire professional knowledge related to community aging health care and nursing skills, and establish partnerships with community residents. This facilitates the achievement of the United Nations’ sustainable development goal of ensuring healthy living and promoting well-being at all ages.

Αξιολόγηση Προγράμματος Υγείας Κοινωφελούς Επιχείρησης για την Αποφυγή Παραγόντων Κινδύνου για την Υγεία

This study investigated the effectiveness of the “Community Center’s Health Program” administered by a Municipal Enterprise aiming to reduce health risk factors (alcohol, smoking, diet, exercise), in 351 participants, implemented during a five-year period (2015-2020). For this purpose, quantitative and qualitative personal record data were examined. According to the results a) alcohol users decreased (- 1.20%), b) smokers decreased (-0.50%) while there was also a tendency for heavy smokers to reduce to 1-10 cigarettes per day, c) percentage of those who systematically exercise decreased (-4.90%, p=0,001&lt;0,05) while frequency of desired exercise increased (+54.40%) for those who already exer- cised, d) overall food consumption reduced while there was compliance with dietary guidelines at "sweets" (+1.70%, p= 0.044 &lt;0.05) and "salt" (+ 1.20%) categories, e) course of the disease improved in 8 out of 10 disease categories ("Cancer": -2%, p= 0.039 &lt;0.05, "Gastroenterological diseases": -2.9%, p= 0.002 &lt;0.05) while within the desired limits remained the Mean of Blood Sugar (+0.81%, p= 0.030 &lt;0.05), Total Choles- terol (-2.50%) and Blood Pressure (Systolic Blood Pressure -0, 91%, Diastolic Blood Pressure -1.15%). Overall, health for part of the sample was maintained or improved. The Health Program offers indications as to its effectiveness. It can become, through improvements, an original and competent model providing community health care, filling the education gap, and patient monitoring as a reference to chronic disease management, with potentially positive results for the health system.

Aboriginal Women Learning on Country: Lessons for Educators.

IntroductionThis paper details the journey of eight Aboriginal women from Circular Head, a rural and remote area of North-West Tasmania, as they undertook an innovative 2-year program of tertiary studies in dementia to address a documented community need. The Chief Executive Officer of the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation (CHAC) had identified difficulties being experienced by older members of the community. These difficulties included changes in behavior, memory, and communication, with profound consequences on social engagement and care needs from both individual and community perspectives. The community wished to know if a combined vocational and university program, completed on Country and in community, could serve as a culturally safe education pathway to empower Aboriginal members of a rural and remote area in providing community health and dementia education and care.MethodsThe nationally funded program included a year-long face-to-face vocational Certificate III in Individual Support (Aging, Home, and Community) on Country, including within-community experience with adults with dementia. This face-to-face learning was combined with online study in the award-winning Bachelor of Dementia care offered by the University of Tasmania. Students received a PhD level stipend to support them in their studies and were guided by an Elder from their community.ResultsAll students completed their Certificate III. The number of units they completed toward the eight required for their Diploma of Dementia Care varied. Emergent themes from students' reflections were holistic and relational, highlighting achievements and challenges, the importance of on Country individual connections and community support, and the value of their current and future contributions to the community. Data from this mixed methods approach documented the impact of the innovative coupling of authentic, culturally appropriate experiential learning with broad and deep academic knowledge about dementia and evidence-based care.ConclusionsThis program provided students with a work-related qualification embedded within a university education and increased the capacity and capability of this Aboriginal community to provide care for its members with dementia, a documented concern. The combination of vocational learning on Country with online university study established a pathway to improve students' access to and success in higher education and the professional workforce. This assisted in counteracting the negative influences of racism, stigma, rurality, and socio-economic marginalization on educational opportunity for Aboriginal people. Data showed the need for flexibility with this learning journey, and the strengths and resilience of these women as they learned.

A Bird Eye View on Recent Developments of Community Health Providers in India

In this research work discuss a recent development in the area of community health providers (CHP). In the last few years, India face many challenges in community health services sector. Recent India move on giant development in the area of CHPs. For any development and changes required a legal amendment, for development of community health national medical commission bill presented the midlevel medical practitioner under chapter V (autonomous board), clause no-32. In the research work also discuss the previous work presented in area of CHPs in India. In short discuss the role of community health officers in India for the improvement of health services. Although being the backbone of the COVID-19 campaign in India, community health workers’ welfare but also employment conditions have not received enough attention. The nationwide lockdown, which was announced in March 2020, caused a migration of migratory workers from cities to home villages and towns, placing a heavy burden on public services and public health professionals. Regular immunizations, childcare services, and education suffered as a result of staff in these fields being redirected to cope with the containment of COVID-19 and especially those working in rural India. Field Epidemiology Training Program, strengthens the capacity of the public health workforce to detect, respond, and control disease outbreaks at the source. CDC India continues to support advanced, intermediate and frontline FETP programs, provide mentorship for outbreak investigations, surveillance evaluations, COVID-19 activities, and regular remote training. This research work also focuses on other major issues and problem of CHPs. Not only in COVID time duration but also after pandemics.

SOSIALISASI IMPLEMENTASI KEBIJAKAN MUTU UNTUK PENINGKATAN KEPUASAN PELANGGAN DI RUMAH SAKIT GRANDMED LUBUK PAKAM

Policy implementation is transferring policies into programs and actions so that it requires various conditions related to the form of the problem to be solved by implementing the policy itself, environmental conditions that influence implementation, implementation organization and implementation resources and allocated resources.&#x0D; In addition to providing community health guidance, hospitals also have a main task in providing health services. Health services are services that have been carried out properly or not according to the community.&#x0D; The quality of health services must always be improved. One way to improve quality is to solicit feedback from the customer community or service users. To measure the level of customer satisfaction as service users and improve the quality of health services

SOSIALISASI IMPLEMENTASI KEBIJAKAN MUTU UNTUK PENINGKATAN KEPUASAN PELANGGAN DI PUSKEMAS DELI TUA

&#x0D; Policy implementation is transferring policies into programs and actions so that it requires various conditions related to the form of the problem to be solved by implementing the policy itself, environmental conditions that influence implementation, implementation organization and implementation resources and allocated resources.&#x0D; In addition to providing community health guidance, puskesmas also have the main task of providing health services. Health services are first-level health services that have been carried out properly or not according to the community.&#x0D; The quality of health services must always be improved. One way to improve quality is to solicit feedback from the customer community or service users. To measure the level of customer satisfaction as service users and improve the quality of health services at the Deli Tua Health Center, a customer satisfaction survey is needed

Establishing a Primary Care Alliance for Conducting Cancer Prevention Clinical Research at Community Sites.

In September 2020, the National Cancer Institute convened the first PARTNRS Workshop as an initiative to forge partnerships between oncologists, primary care professionals, and non-oncology specialists for promoting patient accrual into cancer prevention trials. This effort is aimed at bringing about more effective accrual methods to generate decisive outcomes in cancer prevention research. The workshop convened to inspire solutions to challenges encountered during the development and implementation of cancer prevention trials. Ultimately, strategies suggested for protocol development might enhance integration of these trials into community settings where a diversity of patients might be accrued. Research Bases (cancer research organizations that develop protocols) could encourage more involvement of primary care professionals, relevant prevention specialists, and patient representatives with protocol development beginning at the concept level to improve adoptability of the trials within community facilities, and consider various incentives to primary care professionals (i.e., remuneration). Principal investigators serving as liaisons for the NCORP affiliates and sub-affiliates, might produce and maintain "Prevention Research Champions" lists of PCPs and non-oncology specialists relevant in prevention research who can attract health professionals to consider incorporating prevention research into their practices. Finally, patient advocates and community health providers might convince patients of the benefits of trial-participation and encourage "shared-decision making."

Barriers and facilitators to father involvement in early child health services: A qualitative study in rural Mozambique

Engaging men and increasing their involvement as partners and parents can improve child health and development. Despite the increasing global evidence and advocacy around father involvement and caregiving, there remain few father-inclusive interventions for promoting early child health, especially within primary health systems in low- and middle-income countries. In this study, we explored community perspectives regarding fathers' roles in early child health services during the first three years of life to identify the barriers and facilitators to father involvement in Monapo District in northern, rural Mozambique. A qualitative sub-study was embedded within a qualitative intervention implementation evaluation conducted in October–November 2020. In-depth interviews were conducted with 36 caregivers, 15 health facility providers, 12 community health providers, 4 government officials, and 7 non-governmental partner organizations. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic content analysis. Results revealed that fathers were generally uninvolved in early child healthcare services. Primary barriers to fathers' involvement included the absence of fathers in many households; opportunity costs associated with fathers' accompanying children to health facilities; long waiting times at facilities; negative health provider attitudes towards fathers; and patriarchal gender norms. Respondents also highlighted facilitators of father involvement, which included fathers' broader engagement with their child at home; fathers’ desires to support their partners; parental awareness about the importance of father involvement in child healthcare; and community outreach and sensitization campaigns targeting fathers directly. Our study highlights opportunities for enhancing the focus, design, and delivery of child health services so that they are more inclusive and responsive to fathers. Future research should assess the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of father-focused child health interventions on caregiving and early child health and development outcomes. These strategies should holistically address not only individual and household factors, but also broader structural and sociocultural determinants at the health system and community levels.