DDI-UGA-SARA-2013-vFINAL World Health Organization 2021-11-15 NADA Final version : report Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) Uganda 2013 UGA-MOH-SARA-2013-vFINAL Ministry of Health World Health Organization NADA vFINAL: Summary report of key findings The Ministry of Health of Uganda implemented a national Service Availability and Readiness Assessments (SARA) in June 2013. The assessment aimed to measure progress and to serve as a primary data source for the analytical report prepared for midterm review of the Uganda Health Sector Strategic and Investment Plan (HSSIP). The objective of the survey was to generate reliable and regular information on service delivery including service availability, such as the availability of key human and infrastructure resources, and on the readiness of health facilities to provide basic health-care interventions relating to family planning, child health services, basic and comprehensive obstetric care, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and non-communicable diseases. The SARA 2013 covered 209 facilities in 10 districts. This report covers the following categories of indicators: 1. General service availability • Health infrastructure density • Health workforce density • Service utilization 2. General service readiness • Basic amenities • Basic equipment • Standard precautions for infection prevention • Diagnostic capacity • Essential medicines 3. Service specific availability and readiness • Family planning • Antenatal care • Basic obstetric care • Comprehensive obstetric care • Child immunization • Preventive and curative services for children under five years of age • Adolescent health • Essential medicines and commodities • Maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (MNCAH) • Malaria services • Tuberculosis • HIV counselling and testing • HIV/AIDS care and support • HIV/AIDS Antiretroviral (ART) • Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) • Sexually-transmitted infections • Communicable diseases • Diabetes • Cardiovascular disease services • Chronic respiratory disease management • Non-communicable diseases • Basic surgical services • Blood transfusion • Advanced diagnostic • Comprehensive surgery • High level diagnostic equipment Uganda Nationally representative as well as at regional and district levels Health facilities and district health offices A sample of 233 health facilities (including both public and private sector facilities) in 10 districts, plus all regional referral hospitals were selected for inclusion in the survey. Sample survey data [ssd] The SARA survey is designed to generate a set of core indicators on key inputs and outputs of the health system, which can be used to measure progress in health system strengthening over time. The SARA focuses on three main areas: service availability, general service readiness and service-specific readiness. A basic approach to SARA is to collect data that are comparable both across countries and within countries (i.e. across regions and/or districts) using a standard core questionnaire developed by WHO in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Usually, a country adopts the standard core questionnaire with adaptations to certain elements such as types of facilities, managing authority of facilities, national guidelines for services, staffing categories and national policies for medicines (e.g. for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS). The SARA survey requires visits to health facilities with data collection based on key informant interviews and observation of key items. The survey can either be carried out as a sample or a census; the choice between these methodologies will depend on a number of elements including the country's resources, the objectives of the survey and the availability of a master facility list (MFL). A sample of 233 health facilities (including both public and private sector facilities) in 10 districts, plus all regional referral hospitals were selected for inclusion in the survey. Face-to-face [f2f] The SARA core questionnaires overview: Section 1: Cover page Section 2: Staffing Section 3: Inpatient and observation beds Section 4: Infrastructure Section 5: Available services Section 6: Diagnostics Section 7: Medicines and commodities Section 8: Interviewers observations The field staff was trained in May 2013 on the data collection methodology, questionnaire content, and electronic data collection tools. Field work took place over a period of three weeks in June 2013.