Continuing professional development on climate change and primary care in Africa: Qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Climate change is impacting health and healthcare in Africa. Primary health care can improve community resilience, but only if the workforce is prepared. Pre-service training does not yet address climate change, so continuing professional development (CPD) is needed.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate what primary care providers in sub-Saharan Africa need to know about building climate-resilient facilities and services, and how their learning needs should be addressed.
Setting: The Primary Care and Family Medicine (PRIMAFAMED) network in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods: A descriptive exploratory qualitative study purposefully selected members of the network who had published on their experience of climate change. Snowball sampling was used to identify additional informants. Data were analysed with ATLAS.ti and the framework method.
Results: Nine respondents from eight countries across Africa identified six major learning needs: (1) awareness of the pathways that link climate change to health and social effects and changes in the management of diseases, (2) management of diseases linked to exposure to extreme heat, (3) development of a community-orientated primary care approach that includes attention to environmental determinants of health, (4) disaster preparedness and management, (5) how to make your facility and services more climate resilient and (6) how to educate patients and communities on climate related health issues. Most respondents supported web-based approaches to CPD in their contexts.
Conclusion: Key learning needs were identified and will be further quantified and validated in a cross-sectional survey.
Contribution: The findings will inform the development of CPD on planetary health for primary care providers in sub-Saharan Africa.