Social workers as connectors in community level disease control efforts in Kassala State, Sudan

Issues: The Ministry of Health (MOH) of Sudan has taken efforts to develop an infrastructure for a systematic approach for early detection and response to infectious diseases. Despite progress building this capacity, the MOH struggles to reach all communities with its surveillance system. In Kassala State, social workers have begun to fill the gaps of public health efforts to see whether this cadre could be effective in conducting community interventions. Kassala State is home to many ethnic and tribal groups, including the Bija, a nomadic population systematically marginalized by the government's development efforts. Description: We conducted an evaluation of the program focusing specifically on the role of social workers serving as liaisons between the government and the communities it serves. We used focus group discussions in communities and key informant interviews. Lessons Learned: Our findings show social workers are an effective cadre in public health interventions and specifically that communities are able to build trust more easily with social workers. In Bija communities, social workers have been particularly successful liaisons between MOH employees and community members. Still, we found that social workers lack formal training in epidemiologic methods and knowledge of disease control, and this gap limits their ability to provide support. Recommendations: Formalizing the tasks of state-employed social workers tailored for each locality based on its needs and strengths and delineating the necessary training can improve community interventions.. This process reinforces the need for multi-disciplinary teams to provide the MOH the capacity to provide equitable coverage across communities.