Factors affecting Institutional Sustainability: A Case of Ponseti Treatment in Uganda.

Abstract

Sustainability has become an increasingly important notion to funders and implementers of health promoting projects/programs. This study investigated factors affecting institutional sustainability of Ponseti treatment in Uganda by answering questions as to whether stakeholder involvement and supportive leadership affected sustainability. Two clubfoot clinic operated by USCCP at Mulago and Masaka referral hospitals were used as a case study and 148 respondents were interviewed and reviewed project documents. Data was captured and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study concluded that there is no significant statistical relationship between stakeholder involvement and institutional sustainability. However there was evidence that community involvement positively affect institutional sustainability of Ponseti treatment. It was further concluded that supportive leaderships has a significant relationship with institutional sustainability by building partnerships and developing human resource in health services. Lessons learned from this study are that: - there are factors discussed in this book than stakeholder involvement to be considered when planning for sustainability; developing human resource is crucial in ensuring institutional sustainability of the Ponseti treatment. This study therefore recommended that to ensure institutional sustainability of Ponseti treatment, MOH should set up structures to enforce and evaluate the current health policy with regards to clubfoot treatment; donors should facilitate MOH and the project management to proactively engage the community in activities that promote treatment seeking; community to take part in the program implementation. Furthermore MOH should build partnerships with NGOs and CBO interested in disability treatment, train, and employ adequate health workers to able implement the Ponseti treatment. The researcher recommends that studies be done in areas of; political environment, community empowerment and behavior of health-workers on institutional sustainability; and level of community empowerment and participation in sustainability Ponseti treatment.