"The number of clients is increasing but the supplies are reducing": provider strategies for responding to chronic antiretroviral (ARV) medicines stock-outs in resource-limited settings: a qualitative study from Uganda.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite the increasing frequency of ARV medicines stock-outs in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is little research inquiring into the mitigation strategies devised by frontline health facilities. Many previous studies have focused on 'upstream' or national-level drivers of ARVs stock-outs with less empirical attention devoted 'down-stream' or at the facility-level. The objective of this study was to examine the strategies devised by health facilities in Uganda to respond to the chronic stock-outs of ARVs.

Methods

This was a qualitative research design nested within a larger mixed-methods study. We purposively selected 16 health facilities from across Uganda (to achieve diversity with regard to; level of care (primary/ tertiary), setting (rural/urban) and geographic sub-

SUBMITTER: Zakumumpa H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6521347 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature