Humanization of care: a geospatial analysis of key indicators of quality and safety of health care and service in the Centre region, Cameroon

Abstract Background Integrating the principles of humanized care into healthcare systems is critical to promoting optimal well-being throughout the patient care process. In a context of limited resources, improving the quality of care and health services means identifying priority sites to optimize cost-effectiveness. The objective was to measure key indicators of quality and safety of care in health facilities (HFs) and to map priority health districts (HDs) for effective implementation of high-impact interventions in the Centre Region. Methods We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional analysis using retrospective data from 2018 to 2022 from 32 HDs comprising the Centre Region were extracted in April 2023. Data were retrieved from the national database using DHIS 2 and checked for completeness. The health indicators assessed were those defined in the Cameroon Health Sector Strategy for 2020-2030. Results The density of the qualified HCWs was 13.7 per 10 000 inhabitants in 2022. The density of doctors in rural areas has fallen sharply over the five-year study period, with a decline of almost 20% by 2020 in favor of urban areas. The Odza HD had the highest inpatient mortality rate over the five-year study period (49%). In rural areas, the Esse HD had the highest mortality rate (32.4%). Esse (18.8%) and Odza (6.7%) HDs had the highest perioperative mortality rates in rural and urban areas, respectively. Most of the urban HDs (5/8=62.5%) had a neonatal mortality rate higher than the regional median (RM=3.1). Half of the rural HDs had a maternal mortality ratio higher than the regional median (RM=118 per 1000 live births). The HDs of Mbandjock (357/1,000) and Mvog-Ada (285/1,000) were the most affected in rural and urban areas respectively. More than two thirds of urban HDs recorded a proportion of free malaria treatment cases below the regional median (14%). Conclusions Efforts to humanize healthcare in the Centre Region are hindered by persistent disparities in care quality and inconsistent policy implementation. Addressing these challenges requires timely implementation of a National Strategic Plan to Improve the Quality of Healthcare and Service Delivery, emphasizing on capacity building through training and supervision.