CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS AND ACCESS TO HIV/AIDS SERVICES AT ARUA REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL, UGANDA

Abstract

This study examined the contribution of capacity development approaches towards access to HIV/AIDS services in Arua Regional Referral Hospital (ARRH). Specifically, the study sought to: examine the contribution of mobilizing political leaders towards improved access to HIV/AIDS services at ARRH; study the contribution of training of health workers towards improved access to HIV/AIDS services at ARRH and; investigate the contribution of monitoring towards improved access to HIV/AIDS service at ARRH. The study adopted used a triangulation of cross sectional survey and case study research designs, adopting both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. A sample of 120 respondents was targeted to participate in the study and out of these, 112 responded, representing a response rate of 93%. Questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Frequencies and percentages were used to show the distribution of staff respondents on different items, while Pearson’s Linear Correlational Coefficient (r) was used to determine the degree of relationship between the variables. The study findings showed that; political mobilisation had a significant and positive relationship with access to HIV/AIDS services (r=.666**), training affected access to HIV/AIDS services by 12%, while surveys, informal discussions that were conducted helped to monitor the performance and therefore enhanced access to HIV/AIDS services in ARRH. On the basis of the findings, the researcher concluded that political leaders have a fundamental role of helping communities access HIV/AIDS services; that while training can help to improve access to HHIV/AIDS services, it is necessary that the selection of the trainees is done with a clear purpose and that the training itself should be linked to HIV/AIDS service delivery. The researcher therefore recommended that: management of ARRH should regularly involve political establishments at all stages, in order to reach out to as many people in the community at all stages of service delivery; the ministry of health should enhance budgetary funding towards training of health staff; and ARRH should have in place more strategies to monitor health staff and ensure that they are in the health facility whenever they need to be there.