222065 Assessing the knowledge and skills of community health workers in a high mortality region of northern Ghana

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Francis Yeji, Msc , Research Unit, Navrongo Health Research Centre, Navrongo, Ghana
Jemima A. Frimpong, PhD, MPH , Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
Stephane Helleringer, PhD , Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
James F. Phillips, PhD , Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
J. Koku Awoonor - Williams, MD, MPH , Upper East Regional Directorate, Ghana Health Services, Bolgatanga, Ghana
Objectives: To measure the knowledge and competence of community health workers (CHWs) in performing their duties. Methods: This is a cross sectional survey study of about 150 CHWs (aged ≥19) working in 4 districts (2 intervention and 2 control) of Northern Ghana. All 4 districts have Community Health Planning Service (CHPS) compounds which provide health services at the community level. Knowledge and skills of CHWs were ascertained at the CHPS level on specific functions including postnatal and infant care, antenatal care, growth monitoring, safe delivery, postnatal care, kangaroo mother care, and education on neonatal health and survival. Univariate and multivariate analysis are carried out to compare knowledge and skills in intervention district vs control districts. Results: Community health workers (CHWs) have adequate knowledge and skills in the performance of most of their duties, but nearly all CHWs said they required urgent training in some areas (e.g. safe delivery, neonatal health and survival). More than half also have plans of going for further education at the midwifery school or other higher health training institutions. Independent factors like education and experience were significantly associated with better knowledge and skills. Conclusion: Regular assessment of the knowledge and skills of CHWs enables us to identify specific areas that require attention to build capacity of CHWs to efficiently and effectively deliver health care services at community level.

Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Epidemiology
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
• Describe the knowledge and skills of CHWs on specific tasks at the CHPS level • Examine specific function areas CHWs require training to improve service delivery • Identify which category of CHWs require training on specific functions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a health researcher with the Navrongo Health Research Centre coordinating a project which is assessing the impact of community heaalth planning services, and part of many research teams
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.