{"title":"An exploration of adherence to the World Health Organization's Prosthetic Standards in Namibia.","authors":"Surona J Visagie, Christopher M Likando","doi":"10.4102/ajod.v14i0.1614","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The World Health Organization (WHO) published 'Standards for Prosthetics and Orthotics' to improve these services globally. Research that compares services to the standards assists in developing a baseline against which future development can be measured and identifies areas needing improvement.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This article aims to describe prosthetic services in Namibia and compare them to the 60 WHO standards.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A mixed-methods exploratory design was employed. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with purposively selected participants, including managers (<i>n</i> = 2), service providers (<i>n</i> = 9) and users (<i>n</i> = 16). The data were analysed using content analysis. In the quantitative phase, cross-sectional surveys were administered to managers (<i>n</i> = 2), service providers (<i>n</i> = 10) and users (<i>n</i> = 120). The data were analysed descriptively. Qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated to determine Namibia's adherence to the standards.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The triangulated data showed adherence to 14 standards, partial adherence to 24 and non-adherence to 22 standards. As per the standards' requirements, the government directed the provision of prosthetic services, and a range of prosthetic products was provided free of charge at all levels of care. Funding challenges, no national prosthetics committee, and no databases as well as lacklustre support of providers' careers and professional development, indicated areas of non-adherence.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A systems-based approach, utilising a people-centred conceptual framework, can aid Namibia and similar countries in implementing the standards.</p><p><strong>Contribution: </strong>This study is the first to provide information on implementing WHO prosthetic standards in an African setting.</p>","PeriodicalId":45606,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Disability","volume":"14 ","pages":"1614"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12224022/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"African Journal of Disability","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v14i0.1614","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) published 'Standards for Prosthetics and Orthotics' to improve these services globally. Research that compares services to the standards assists in developing a baseline against which future development can be measured and identifies areas needing improvement.
Objectives: This article aims to describe prosthetic services in Namibia and compare them to the 60 WHO standards.
Method: A mixed-methods exploratory design was employed. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with purposively selected participants, including managers (n = 2), service providers (n = 9) and users (n = 16). The data were analysed using content analysis. In the quantitative phase, cross-sectional surveys were administered to managers (n = 2), service providers (n = 10) and users (n = 120). The data were analysed descriptively. Qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated to determine Namibia's adherence to the standards.
Results: The triangulated data showed adherence to 14 standards, partial adherence to 24 and non-adherence to 22 standards. As per the standards' requirements, the government directed the provision of prosthetic services, and a range of prosthetic products was provided free of charge at all levels of care. Funding challenges, no national prosthetics committee, and no databases as well as lacklustre support of providers' careers and professional development, indicated areas of non-adherence.
Conclusion: A systems-based approach, utilising a people-centred conceptual framework, can aid Namibia and similar countries in implementing the standards.
Contribution: This study is the first to provide information on implementing WHO prosthetic standards in an African setting.
期刊介绍：
The African Journal of Disability, the official journal of CRS, AfriNEAD and CEDRES, introduce and discuss issues and experiences relating to and supporting the act of better understanding the interfaces between disability, poverty and practices of exclusion and marginalisation. Its articles yield new insight into established human development practices, evaluate new educational techniques and disability research, examine current cultural and social discrimination, and bring serious critical analysis to bear on problems shared across the African continent. Emphasis is on all aspects of disability particularity in the developing African context. This includes, amongst others: -disability studies as an emerging field of public health enquiry -rehabilitation, including vocational and community-based rehabilitation -community development and medical issues related to disability and poverty -disability-related stigma and discrimination -inclusive education -legal, policy, human rights and advocacy issues related to disability -the role of arts and media in relation to disability -disability as part of global Sustainable Development Goals transformation agendas -disability and postcolonial issues -globalisation and cultural change in relation to disability -environmental and climate-related issues linked to disability -disability, diversity and intersections of identity -disability and the promotion of human development.
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