Healthworker preparedness for COVID‑19 management and implementation experiences

Abstract

The negative impact of COVID-19 on population health outcomes raises critical questions on health system preparedness and resilience, especially in resource-limited settings. This mixed methods, cross-sectional study examined health-worker preparedness for COVID-19 management and implementation experiences in Uganda’s refugee-hosting districts. The paper finds that health-workers preparedness is inadequate in some aspects. Implementation of healthcare interventions is constrained by the complexity of Uganda’s health system design, top-down approach of the national response to COVID-19 and longstanding health system bottlenecks. The authors recommend continuous information sharing on COVID-19, a design review with capacity strengthening at all health facility levels and investing in community-facing strategies. This research was supported by the Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) Programme