Cultural beliefs versus professional health training: implications for healthcare delivery to persons living with intellectual disabilities in Ghana

ABSTRACT

Background

In most African countries, disability is explained by cultural beliefs. This has implications for healthcare delivery for persons with intellectual disabilities.

Methods

With the aid of a qualitative approach, we explore the interplay between cultural beliefs and the training of health professionals and their implications for the healthcare delivery to persons living with intellectual disabilities in the Asokwa and Oforikrom Municipalities.

Findings

Findings revealed that cultural beliefs about intellectually disabled people include the idea that their facilities are forbidden and that pregnant women who pass by them may have a child with a disability. Further, health professionals received little intellectual disability training. As a result, healthcare professionals lack knowledge of the needs and care of this group.

Conclusion

This study recommends that professionals should take comprehensive intellectual disability courses in training schools. Also, health professionals should attend periodic workshops on the range of intellectual disabilities to raise awareness of their needs and care.

KEYWORDS:

• Intellectual disability
• health care delivery
• cultural beliefs
• health training
• cultural socialisation
• persons living with intellectual disabilities

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all participants for dedicating their time and other resources during the period of data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) received financial support from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Research Fund (Kref Research Grant) for data collection and for publication costs. However, the funder did not determine the content or structure of the manuscript. Neither did the funders determine the journal to which this manuscript was submitted.