‘I also take part in caring for the sick child’: a qualitative study on fathers’ roles and responsibilities in seeking care for children in Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Fathers play various roles in the care-seeking process during children's illness episodes. This included, for instance, arranging resources to seek care, (co)-deciding where to seek care as well as accompanying the child to the health facility. The inability to organise necessary resources for care can lead to involuntary delays in care seeking for the child. This demonstrates the importance of including fathers in future interventions on maternal and child health.