“...Our support is not enough”: a qualitative analysis of recommendations from informal caregivers of women with female genital fistula in Uganda

Informal caregivers remain critical across the care continuum for complex and stigmatized conditions including female genital fistula, particularly in lower-resource settings burdened by underfunded health systems and workforce shortages. These caregivers often provide significant nonmedical support...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ashley Mitchell, Hadija Nalubwama, Justus K. Barageine, Suellen Miller, Abner P. Korn, Josaphat Byamugisha, Susan Obore, Alison M. El Ayadi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Inishmore Laser Scientific Publishing Ltd 2023-03-01
Series:Journal of Global Health Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.29392/001c.71394
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849335179360862208
author Ashley Mitchell
Hadija Nalubwama
Justus K. Barageine
Suellen Miller
Abner P. Korn
Josaphat Byamugisha
Susan Obore
Alison M. El Ayadi
author_facet Ashley Mitchell
Hadija Nalubwama
Justus K. Barageine
Suellen Miller
Abner P. Korn
Josaphat Byamugisha
Susan Obore
Alison M. El Ayadi
author_sort Ashley Mitchell
collection DOAJ
description Informal caregivers remain critical across the care continuum for complex and stigmatized conditions including female genital fistula, particularly in lower-resource settings burdened by underfunded health systems and workforce shortages. These caregivers often provide significant nonmedical support in both community and facility settings, without pay. Despite their unique insight into the lived experiences of their patients, few studies center the perspectives of informal caregivers. We asked informal caregivers of women seeking surgical treatment of fistula in Kampala Uganda for their ideas about what would improve the recovery and reintegration experiences of their patients. Economic empowerment and community capacity building emerged as primary themes among their responses, and they perceived opportunities for clinical medicine and global health to strengthen strategies for fistula prevention through reintegration. Informal caregivers urged simultaneous investment in women's economic status and community capacity to build fistula-related awareness, knowledge, and skills to improve inclusion of both fistula patients and their informal caregivers.
format Article
id doaj-art-c90f4233353b4eea87c5ca0bb5970e2d
institution Kabale University
issn 2399-1623
language English
publishDate 2023-03-01
publisher Inishmore Laser Scientific Publishing Ltd
record_format Article
series Journal of Global Health Reports
spelling doaj-art-c90f4233353b4eea87c5ca0bb5970e2d2025-08-20T03:45:23ZengInishmore Laser Scientific Publishing LtdJournal of Global Health Reports2399-16232023-03-01710.29392/001c.71394“...Our support is not enough”: a qualitative analysis of recommendations from informal caregivers of women with female genital fistula in UgandaAshley MitchellHadija NalubwamaJustus K. BarageineSuellen MillerAbner P. KornJosaphat ByamugishaSusan OboreAlison M. El AyadiInformal caregivers remain critical across the care continuum for complex and stigmatized conditions including female genital fistula, particularly in lower-resource settings burdened by underfunded health systems and workforce shortages. These caregivers often provide significant nonmedical support in both community and facility settings, without pay. Despite their unique insight into the lived experiences of their patients, few studies center the perspectives of informal caregivers. We asked informal caregivers of women seeking surgical treatment of fistula in Kampala Uganda for their ideas about what would improve the recovery and reintegration experiences of their patients. Economic empowerment and community capacity building emerged as primary themes among their responses, and they perceived opportunities for clinical medicine and global health to strengthen strategies for fistula prevention through reintegration. Informal caregivers urged simultaneous investment in women's economic status and community capacity to build fistula-related awareness, knowledge, and skills to improve inclusion of both fistula patients and their informal caregivers.https://doi.org/10.29392/001c.71394
spellingShingle Ashley Mitchell
Hadija Nalubwama
Justus K. Barageine
Suellen Miller
Abner P. Korn
Josaphat Byamugisha
Susan Obore
Alison M. El Ayadi
“...Our support is not enough”: a qualitative analysis of recommendations from informal caregivers of women with female genital fistula in Uganda
Journal of Global Health Reports
title “...Our support is not enough”: a qualitative analysis of recommendations from informal caregivers of women with female genital fistula in Uganda
title_full “...Our support is not enough”: a qualitative analysis of recommendations from informal caregivers of women with female genital fistula in Uganda
title_fullStr “...Our support is not enough”: a qualitative analysis of recommendations from informal caregivers of women with female genital fistula in Uganda
title_full_unstemmed “...Our support is not enough”: a qualitative analysis of recommendations from informal caregivers of women with female genital fistula in Uganda
title_short “...Our support is not enough”: a qualitative analysis of recommendations from informal caregivers of women with female genital fistula in Uganda
title_sort our support is not enough a qualitative analysis of recommendations from informal caregivers of women with female genital fistula in uganda
url https://doi.org/10.29392/001c.71394
work_keys_str_mv AT ashleymitchell oursupportisnotenoughaqualitativeanalysisofrecommendationsfrominformalcaregiversofwomenwithfemalegenitalfistulainuganda
AT hadijanalubwama oursupportisnotenoughaqualitativeanalysisofrecommendationsfrominformalcaregiversofwomenwithfemalegenitalfistulainuganda
AT justuskbarageine oursupportisnotenoughaqualitativeanalysisofrecommendationsfrominformalcaregiversofwomenwithfemalegenitalfistulainuganda
AT suellenmiller oursupportisnotenoughaqualitativeanalysisofrecommendationsfrominformalcaregiversofwomenwithfemalegenitalfistulainuganda
AT abnerpkorn oursupportisnotenoughaqualitativeanalysisofrecommendationsfrominformalcaregiversofwomenwithfemalegenitalfistulainuganda
AT josaphatbyamugisha oursupportisnotenoughaqualitativeanalysisofrecommendationsfrominformalcaregiversofwomenwithfemalegenitalfistulainuganda
AT susanobore oursupportisnotenoughaqualitativeanalysisofrecommendationsfrominformalcaregiversofwomenwithfemalegenitalfistulainuganda
AT alisonmelayadi oursupportisnotenoughaqualitativeanalysisofrecommendationsfrominformalcaregiversofwomenwithfemalegenitalfistulainuganda