We know the secret of your success
More recently, it has become obvious that healthcare workers play a major in strengthening the health system of a country. One of the measures to have a sustainable health system is the actualization of universal health coverage (UHC). Therefore, achieving UHC is dependent on the human resources availability and the roles they perform (Cometto et al., 2020). Studies have shown that to realize universal health coverage depends on the distribution (equity) and roles of the health workforce around a nation (both rural and urban settlement) (Cometto et al., 2020). Proper management of health workers is expected to yield great results such as better health outcomes, improved global health security, and economic development (Cometto et al., 2020). Actualizing universal health coverage is proving to be very difficult in developing nations. The cause has been attributed to shortages in the health workforce (Sripathy et al., 2017). Other contributory factors include poor financial resources, poor health infrastructures among others (Omotosho et al., 2019). Another factor is poor and inadequate health education, which has seriously affected the development of healthcare workers (Omotosho et al., 2019).
Universal health coverage has been defined by the World Health Organization as the means of ensuring that every individual and community enjoys the benefit of health service according to their needs without impoverishing them (creating financial hardship) (WHO, 2021). Those health services include essential quality health services (promotion, treatment, rehabilitative, and palliative care) (WHO, 2021). The framework that will guide the health workers' care delivery should be on people-centered integrated care (WHO, 2021). For example, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic showed the great importance of healthcare workers in their service delivery role and pursuing to give person-centered care (WHO, 2021). Estimations have shown that more than eighteen million healthcare workers are required to achieve both universal health coverage and Sustainable Developmental Goals (WHO, 2021).
To achieve universal health services in a developing country, healthcare workers are expected to play a vital role in ensuring this health goal is achieved by their nation (WHO, 2016). Although the health workforce is experiencing a severe shortage, however, the available healthcare personnel should provide quality healthcare delivery services (WHO, 2021). The quality health delivery services comprise of capable and competent health workforce with various skills in a particular health setting (WHO, 2021). Healthcare workers are expected to engage the community in health programs (outreach and sensitization at the community level) by ensuring community participation (WHO, 2021). Healthcare workers must ensure equity in their service delivery and distribution to meet the need of the people (WHO, 2021). They should also ensure that their quality service delivery is best rendered to improve health and well-being and actualize quality of life, to the people receiving the care (WHO, 2021; WHO, 2016). Healthcare workers must also ensure that they protect the individual members of the community from financial burdens due to out-of-pocket payments (which might lead them to extreme poverty) (WHO, 2021).
Healthcare workers' role to improve health and achieve UHC also includes promoting human rights, innovations, political commitment, and intersectoral partnership (de Francisco Shapovalova et al., 2015). These roles will not just improve lives but also assist in actualizing socioeconomic development in developing nations (de Francisco Shapovalova et al., 2015). Healthcare workers in developing nations should understand the need to help their countries achieve UHC, which will lead reduction in the migration of healthcare workers and improvement in health workforce shortage in developing nations (Sripathy et al., 2017; Evans et al., 2017). According to Cometto and his colleagues, the role of healthcare workers in achieving UHC involves having the necessary skills and put-up behaviors which will enable the members of the community to trust them (Cometto et al., 2020). In addition, they added that decency in performing duties and competency is vital to strengthening health systems, resilience, and achieving UHC (Cometto et al., 2020).
The realization of universal health coverage is crucial to achieving Sustainable Developmental Goals by 2030 (WHO, 2016). Therefore, the actions and roles of healthcare workers in achieving UHC in a developing nation will foster the actualization of other health goals in the country (WHO, 2021). The World Health Organization stated two important approaches to achieve UHC, which include the primary health care approach and life course approach (WHO, 2021). So, healthcare workers can utilize these approaches to actualize UHC in their respective countries. Therefore, this present study will investigate the roles of healthcare workers in achieving universal health coverage in a developing nation.
To determine the roles of healthcare workers in achieving UHC in a developing country
Every nation is aiming towards achieving United Nations Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) by 2030. However, developing nations are seriously lagging, which has led to poor health outcomes in these regions of the world. Actualizing universal health coverage is proving to be very difficult in developing nations. The cause has been attributed to shortages in the health workforce (Sripathy et al., 2017). To achieve universal health services in a developing country, healthcare workers are expected to play a vital role in ensuring this health goal is achieved by their nation (WHO, 2016). Therefore, this present study will investigate the roles of healthcare workers in achieving universal health coverage in a developing nation.
This study is very important because the realization of universal health coverage is crucial to achieving Sustainable Developmental Goals by 2030 (WHO, 2016). Therefore, the actions and roles of healthcare workers in achieving UHC in a developing nation will foster the actualization of other health goals in the country (WHO, 2021). To our best of knowledge, this is a novel study, there is no existing literature that has investigated the role of healthcare workers in achieving universal health coverage in a developing country.
This will be a cross-sectional study in some selected hospitals (both urban and rural communities) in a developing country. A pretested structured questionnaire will be used to collect all relevant information using simple random sampling.
Collected data from the questionnaire will be entered into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval will be used to assess statistically significant variables (p<0.05).
The risk assessment conducted for this project is provided in the table below:
Table 1: Risk assessment
Risk
Impact
Mitigation Plan
Inability to meet the deadline
Low
Get an extension from the supervisor in due time
Inability to get required process inputs, skill, and manpower
Moderate
Refer to municipalities and research institutes for help
Inability to properly develop the process set up
High
Refer to your supervisor for help
Insufficient data
Refer to journals and textbooks for help
Table 2: Project Plan
Task Name
Start Date
End Date
Duration (Days)
Initial Research
15/01/2022
29/01/2022
14
Proposal
06/02/2022
21
Introduction Chapter
18/03/2022
23/03/2022
5
Literature Review Chapter
20/04/2022
24
Methodology Chapter
02/05/2022
12
Presentation 1
02/07/2022
10/07/2022
8
Analysis
24/07/2022
Evaluation of Gotten Results
01/08/2022
7
Discussion Chapter
11/08/2022
10
Evaluation Chapter
16/08/2022
Conclusion Chapter
18/08/2022
2
Project Management Chapter
20/08/2022
Abstract and Report compilation
22/08/2022
Report Proofreading
01/09/2022
Presentation 2
11/09/2022
Cometto, G., Buchan, J., & Dussault, G. (2020). Developing the health workforce for universal health coverage. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 98(2), 109–116. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.234138
de Francisco Shapovalova, N., Meguid, T., & Campbell, J. (2015). Health-care workers as agents of sustainable development. In The Lancet Global Health (Vol. 3, Issue 5, pp. e249–e250). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(15)70104-X
Evans, T., Araujo, E., Herbst, C., & Pannenborg, O. (2017). Transforming Health Workers’ Education for Universal Health Coverage: Global Challenges and Recommendations. World Health & Population, 17(3), 70–80. https://doi.org/10.12927/whp.2017.25304
Omotosho, A., Ayegba, P., Emuoyibofarhe, J., & Meinel, C. (2019). The current state of ICT in healthcare delivery in developing countries. International Journal of Online and Biomedical Engineering, 15(8), 91–107. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijoe.v15i08.10294
Sripathy, A., Marti, J., Patel, H., Sheikh, J. I., & Darzi, A. W. (2017). Health professional education and universal health coverage: A summary of challenges and selected case studies. Health Affairs, 36(11), 1928–1936. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0517
World Health Organization (2021) Universal Health Coverage https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/universal-health-coverage-(UHC)
World Health Organization (2016). Global strategy on human resources for health: Workforce 2030. Geneva: WHO, 2016.
World Health Organization/World Bank (2016). Tracking universal health coverage: First global monitoring report. Geneva: WHO, 2016
Last updated: Feb 07, 2022 10:29 AM
Your one-stop website for academic resources, tutoring, writing, editing, study abroad application, cv writing & proofreading needs.
