Influence of Basic Health Care Provision Fund in improving primary Health Care in Kano state, a descriptive cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) is a direct financial investment that funds Primary Healthcare (PHC) to improve the quality of services. This study assessed the influence of the BHCPF in improving PHC services. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among PHC workers in 100 facilities randomly selected from the 484 designated PHCs for implementing the BHCPF project in Kano state. Using multiple sampling methods, 200 healthcare workers in PHC facilities were selected and assisted by trained data collectors to respond to the questionnaires. Chi-square analysis was used to show associated factors, while binary regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between factors influencing the BHCPF implementation in PHC. RESULT: The findings showed healthcare workers had higher awareness (61.7%) and good utilization (57.1%) of BHCPF. Challenges of the BHCPF implementation were insufficiently skilled health professionals (85%), lack of data management capacity (52.6%), low community participation and awareness (52.0%), delay in releasing funds (60.7%), poor infrastructure (87.8%), and weak financial management and accountability system (58.2%). Healthcare professionals having a diploma were four times more likely to have the National Health Management Information System (NHMIS) in their facilities (AOR = 4.955, 95% CI = 1.120-21.036; P-value 0.035) than those without. Primary healthcare facilities were two times more likely to have the NHMIS (AOR = 2.549, 95% CI = 1.167-5.566: P-value 0. 019) than health post. CONCLUSION: The factors that influenced PHC facilities to promote the implementation of BHCPF included: periodic evaluation of the facilities, availability of functional storage facilities, and improving the standard of care in PHC facilities. There is a need for retraining healthcare workers and creating more community awareness of the BHCPF.

Factors Associated with the Implementation of an Improved Community Health Fund in the Ubungo Municipality Area, Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania.

Community-based health insurance schemes help households to afford healthcare services. This paper describes healthcare facilities and community factors that are associated with the Improved Community Health Fund (iCHF) scheme in the Ubungo district of Tanzania. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using online questionnaires that were completed by healthcare providers and community members in public-owned healthcare facilities in the Ubungo Municipal Council district of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between October and November 2021. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-squared test of association. We found a statistically significant relationship between income level and satisfaction with the iCHF scheme. For community-related factors, income level was statistically significant in the level of involvement in iCHF implementation among local leaders. Further, income level was statistically significant in relation to community behavior/culture toward the iCHF. Occupation was statistically significant in iCHF implementation, iCHF premiums, and iCHF membership size. A statistically significant relationship was also found between income, iCHF membership size, and iCHF premiums. Moreover, people would be willing to pay the required premiums if the quality of the healthcare services under the iCHF scheme improves. Therefore, the government should allocate resources to reduce the challenges that are facing iCHF implementation, such as the preference for a user fee scheme over the iCHF, the issues that are faced by enrollment officers, and inadequate iCHF premiums and membership size.