Access to, and the delivery of, free healthcare in Kanakantapa, rural Zambia

Abstract

This study determines the proportion of people experiencing health needs in rural Kanakantapa, Zambia and examines perceived barriers to healthcare access. Through the administration of face-to-face questionnaires, demographic data, information on health needs and the care received at the clinic or the reasons for non-attendance were obtained. Ninety six percent of respondents reported experiencing at least one healthcare need in the previous 12 months. Sixty six percent of reported healthcare needs resulted in clinic attendance. The main reasons for non-attendance were distance (55% of respondents) and a belief that medicine shortages would result in the clinic’s inability to treat (20% of respondents). No factors were found to predict attendance for all symptoms but age predicted attendance for respiratory symptoms and distance predicted attendance for diarrhoea.

Keywords: albendazole, praziquantel, soil transmitted helminthiasis, schistosomiasis