Rôle des ressources humaines dans la performance du système de référence-évacuation de Kayes au Mali

Although proven effective interventions have been transferred from the developed world, developing countries still face high maternal and perinatal deaths. Weak health systems and human resources crisis hinder the scaling up of those interventions. This study is aimed at improving the understanding of the role of human resources, especially the first line staff in a maternal referral system, the evacuation and referral system (ERS) of Kayes (Mali). The implantation of the ERS as part of major strategies for fighting maternal and perinatal deaths has been generalised in Mali’s eight administrative regions. The ERS main components are: upgrading of emergency obstetric care (EmOC); funding by a solidarity fund; and improving transport and communication by ambulance. These components allows for joint action regarding the supply and the use of maternal and perinatal services. Yet, due to the shortages in skilled birth attendants, the extension of the coverage in emergency obstetric services has been made with less qualified staff.  Kayes is Mali’s first administrative region and a cradle of emigration. It therefore offers, with the support of its immigrants, a more diversified primary care provision than elsewhere in Mali. This gives an opportunity of studying the role of primary care staff in the ERS performance. More precisely, the objectives of this research were to: 1 identify characteristics of primary care teams that influenced the ERS performance assessed by the joint mother-child survival and 2) improve the understanding of human resources practices associated with ERS performance.  We combined a systematic literature review with a mixed quantitative and qualitative research design. Kayes  ERS performance was modelised using Michie and West conceptual framework and the motivational process was explored with Vroom’s expectancy theory.  Data for the quantitative analyses derived from an ongoing system of registering all obstetric emergencies implemented since 2004 (GESYRE: Gestion du Système de Référence Évacuation / Management of the Evacuation Referral System) and periodic surveys. A biprobit regression model has been fitted to estimate the effects of the point of entry in the ERS and the primary care team composition on the joint mother-newborn survival. We also conducted semi structured interviews and non participant observations in order to explore human resources practices in purposely selected community health centers.  This research confirmed the importance of human resources in ERS performance. When women’ individual risk factors are controlled for, there is a combined effect of distance traveled and the point of entry in the ERS on one side and the community health centers staff on the other hand, on the mother-child joint survival. The best prognosis of care was found in women who directly accessed care at the regional hospital. Having been transferred from a community health center where there is a physician or more than three professionals increased the mother-child survival probability. Physicians in community health centers develop strategies for a better performance of the health centers they managed: direct implication in care and a competitive care environment.  Primary care managers set up incentives to motivate staff. The motivation process remains however a variable and complex one. The desirability of good results was common for all staff though its motivations varied according to the type of staff. Besides, due to insufficiency of material and multiples intermediate factors, perception of a linkage between effort and result was low.  This increased understanding of the role of primary care human resources in the ERS performance would focus the management of ERS performance on targeted but effective interventions. The workforce could benefit from the study conclusions in identifying and applying best practices. Further research challenges would also be more precisely identified.

Keyphrases: Système de référence, Mali, Referral system, Human resources for health, Emergency obstetric care, maternal mortality, Stillbirth, Mali