TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of COVID-19 on substance use disorder treatment services in Kenya
T2 - Qualitative findings from healthcare providers
AU - Muller, Abbe
AU - Akiyama, Matthew J.
AU - Riback, Lindsey
AU - Nyakowa, Mercy
AU - Musyoki, Helgar
AU - Cherutich, Peter
AU - Kurth, Ann
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022
PY - 2022/7
Y1 - 2022/7
N2 - Background: People who inject drugs are at an increased risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2 and have experienced barriers to accessing harm reduction services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding how to best provide these services is essential for COVID-19 mitigation. The goal of this study was to ascertain challenges and successes for caring for people who inject drugs in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted focus group discussions and one-on-one key informant interviews with healthcare providers who work with people who inject drugs in Kenya. Interviews explored how COVID-19 and social distancing measures impacted service provision, as well as what strategies were used to overcome these barriers. We used thematic analysis to analyze transcribed interviews. Results: Participants included 29 service providers from 11 healthcare professions at three medication assisted treatment (MAT) and four drop-in center (DIC) sites (N=15 males and N=14 females, with an average age of 35 years). Four overarching themes emerged in our thematic analysis in which providers described both barriers to providing care and solutions to overcome them: (1) COVID-19-related misconceptions; (2) Limited COVID-19 testing and screening; (3) Structural changes related to service provision; and (4) Access to material resources such as meals, needle and syringe program kits, and personal protective equipment. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the COVID-19 pandemic-imposed challenges for substance use disorder treatment providers and patients, however with ingenuity many of these challenges were able to be overcome.
AB - Background: People who inject drugs are at an increased risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2 and have experienced barriers to accessing harm reduction services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding how to best provide these services is essential for COVID-19 mitigation. The goal of this study was to ascertain challenges and successes for caring for people who inject drugs in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted focus group discussions and one-on-one key informant interviews with healthcare providers who work with people who inject drugs in Kenya. Interviews explored how COVID-19 and social distancing measures impacted service provision, as well as what strategies were used to overcome these barriers. We used thematic analysis to analyze transcribed interviews. Results: Participants included 29 service providers from 11 healthcare professions at three medication assisted treatment (MAT) and four drop-in center (DIC) sites (N=15 males and N=14 females, with an average age of 35 years). Four overarching themes emerged in our thematic analysis in which providers described both barriers to providing care and solutions to overcome them: (1) COVID-19-related misconceptions; (2) Limited COVID-19 testing and screening; (3) Structural changes related to service provision; and (4) Access to material resources such as meals, needle and syringe program kits, and personal protective equipment. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the COVID-19 pandemic-imposed challenges for substance use disorder treatment providers and patients, however with ingenuity many of these challenges were able to be overcome.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Injection drug use
KW - LMIC
KW - People who inject drugs
KW - Policy
KW - Substance use disorder services
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U2 - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103710
DO - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103710
M3 - Article
C2 - 35580533
AN - SCOPUS:85130371863
SN - 0955-3959
VL - 105
JO - International Journal of Drug Policy
JF - International Journal of Drug Policy
M1 - 103710
ER -