02246nas a2200169 4500000000100000008004100001260004400042653002400086100002200110700001500132700002100147245012500168856008400293490000700377520167800384022001402062 2022 d bSpringer Science and Business Media LLC10aInfectious Diseases1 aBautista-Gomez MM1 aDoerfler J1 adel Mar Castro M00aBarriers to cutaneous leishmaniasis care faced by indigenous communities of rural areas in Colombia: a qualitative study uhttps://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12879-022-07204-w.pdf0 v223 a

Background Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are often associated with rural territories and vulnerable communities with limited access to health care services. The objective of this study is to identify the potential determinants of CL care management in the indigenous communities in the rural area of the municipality of Pueblo Rico, through a people-centered approach. Methods To achieve this goal, qualitative ethnographic methods were used, and a coding framework was developed using procedures in accordance with grounded theory. Results Three dimensions that affect access to health care for CL in this population were identified: (1) contextual barriers related to geographic, economic and socio-cultural aspects; (2) health service barriers, with factors related to administration, insufficient health infrastructure and coverage, and (3) CL treatment, which covers perceptions of the treatment and issues related to the implementation of national CL treatment guidelines. This study identified barriers resulting from structural problems at the national level. Moreover, some requirements of the national guidelines for CL management in Colombia impose barriers to diagnosis and treatment. We furthermore identified cultural barriers that influence the perceptions and behavior of the community and health workers. Conclusions While the determinants to CL management are multidimensional, the most important barrier is the inaccessibility to CL treatment to the most vulnerable populations and its inadequacy for the socio-territorial setting, as it is not designed around the people, their needs and their context.

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