Community Perspectives on Inequalities in the Provision of Basic Healthcare Services for the Most Vulnerable Populations in the Eastern Congo: A Qualitative Study

Background There is a notable lack of evidence regarding the factors that shape the provision of essential healthcare services in post-conflict settings.Purpose This study aimed to explore and describe the factors influencing the provision of basic health care services for the most vulnerable populations in the Eastern Congo.Method Employing a qualitative research approach, twenty individual interviews with community members and thirteen focus group discussions were conducted. Participants were drawn from three geographically and demographically diverse locations with a history of decades-long armed conflicts in the Congo. Inductive thematic coding used the Health System Dynamics Framework categories (i.e. goals and outcomes, values and principles; service delivery; the population; the context; leadership & governance; and the organization of resources (finances; human resources; infrastructure and supplies; knowledge and information), while allowing for additional themes.Results Our findings are presented thematically according to these ten categories. The following factors were perceived as key areas enabling or hindering healthcare provision to the community: (1) the context for organizing basic healthcare service delivery is complex and challenging; (2) the population plays a crucial role as an active producer of health and potential change agents; (3) there is a poor strategic policy framework to guide local-level communities in the provision of basic healthcare services; (4) several critical barriers and facilitators related to effective healthcare service delivery were identified; (5) the classification of basic health service delivery methods to meet the healthcare needs of the vulnerable population; (6) the healthcare system is pluralistic and consists of multiple overlapping systems and providers; and (7) service providers and potential service users still consider access to basic healthcare services challenging, potentially resulting in reduced coverage.Conclusion These findings suggest that substantial changes in the factors contributing to the provision of basic healthcare services are necessary to ensure the delivery of basic healthcare services to the most vulnerable populations in the Eastern Congo. Consequently, there is a critical need to reconsider the healthcare delivery system, specifically addressing these contributing factors in the context of the Eastern Congo.