Navigating health care for children with disabilities: perspectives of male caregivers in rural Kenya.

Abstract

Introduction: UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 and the nurturing care framework highlight the importance of healthcare services and preventive measures to ensure optimal health outcomes for children, including those with disabilities. However, the contributions of male caregivers in the general care of children with disabilities in Sub-Saharan African contexts are often overlooked. This article therefore aims to understand how male caregivers navigate and negotiate healthcare options for their children with disabilities in rural Kenya.

Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted, following the phenomenological tradition, to collect data from 22 male caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in rural Kenya using four focus group discussions. The data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The interpretation of the findings was guided by the theoretical approach of critical disability studies.

Results: The article contributes new knowledge to the understanding of the roles and experiences of male caregivers in the healthcare of children with disabilities in rural Sub-Saharan African contexts. Four emergent themes are presented: '... hospitals around cannot offer a solution to their problems ...', '... regarding finances, I have to struggle alone ...', '... the only place one can pity you is the traditional herbalist ...' and 'I pray to God to heal him'.

Conclusion: Faced with significant challenges in accessing conventional healthcare services, male caregivers employ the local cultural resources available to them to address the healthcare needs of their children with disabilities. This emphasizes the need to complement their efforts by mobilizing the healthcare system to offer quality, equitable, culturally sensitive and inclusive healthcare solutions.