What Are the Challenges Facing Comprehensive Cleft Care in Africa? A Qualitative Study Involving Cleft Care Providers Across Africa

Abstract

Objective

To identify the challenges facing comprehensive cleft care in Africa and to propose solutions to some of these challenges

Design

A virtual focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted involving 10 cleft care providers from across the African continent. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the collected data.

Setting

Participants in the FGD were experienced cleft care providers from across Africa including North Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa and a representative of Francophone West Africa.

Participants

Ten experienced cleft care providers from across the African continent, who were selected using a purposive sampling technique, based on their specialty and experience in cleft care.

Main outcome measures

Challenges facing comprehensive cleft care in Africa were identified and solutions proffered to some of these challenges.

Results

The main challenges and solutions were categorized under patients’ factors, clinicians’ factors and institutional/other factors. Poverty, low level of awareness, insufficient manpower and poor healthcare systems were some of the major recurring challenges. Other unique challenges identified were language barriers affecting access to cleftcare training in Francophone Africa and the brain drain syndrome, which had resulted in the migration of cleftcare manpower from the continent. Improved patient support systems, enhanced manpower training and motivation and improved healthcare systems were some of the solutions suggested.

Conclusion

The main challenges identified were shortage of required manpower and institutional and policy challenges, while the proposed solutions ranged from enhanced manpower training and motivation to improved healthcare systems.