Health extension workers preparedness to provide integrated community based case management of childhood illness service

Abstract

Abstract: Integrated Community based Case Management of childhood Illness service /ICCM/ was introduced in 2010, with the help of UNICEF, to support community –based treatment of childhood pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and neonatal sepsis against childhood illness to reduce under five mortality and morbidity through the preexisting HEP in the country. ICCM service is believed to contribute for improved child health, service integration with other HEP packages, through quality of training, supervision and monitoring. The main objective of this study is to assess preparedness of Health Extension Workers to provide Integrated Community Case Management of common childhood illnesses service. The study design was cross sectional quantitative method. The study was conducted in North Shoa Zone Amhara regional state, on Health Extension Workers / HEWs/.The total sample size used for the study 213. Data was entered and analyzed using EPI Info and SPSS software. More than half 132 (62%) of the HEWs were prepared to provide ICCM in terms of drug and supply availability in their health posts, while 81(38%) of HEWs were not prepared to provide ICCM services. Training and Age are the significant factors for preparedness. Those who have not taken ICCM training were found to be 4.55 times less likely to be prepared compared to those with the training (AOR= 0.22 with 95% CI [0.06,0.74]). Age below 25 years was found to be 2.2 times less likely to be prepared to ICCM service compared to those with age above 25 (AOR= 0.45 with 95% CI [0.24,0.83]).To implement the ICCM service and to reduce the under-five mortality and morbidity the health extension workers must be equipped with essential ICCM drugs and supplies and the HEWs should get appropriate training. Early identification of availability drug and supply in the health posts are important to improve community case management. The study also revealed that older health extension workers more prepared to provide the ICCM service. As recommendations it will be good to provide ICCM training to the HEWs and recruit older HEWs (>25 years) so that they can be responsible for good preparedness to ICCM service and reduce child morbidity and mortality at community level.