Information transmission process for disease notification and feedback in the community-based disease surveillance system in Anambra State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Disease surveillance and notification (DSN) system has been shown to be weak in Nigeria and still needs to be built up for effective detection and response to some communities. The aim of this paper is to assess the reporting and feedback mechanisms in the Community-based surveillance System (CBSS) in Anambra State, Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 360 community-based focal points in Anambra State selected by multistage sampling technique. Data collection was by interview using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20, associations between variables were tested using Chi square, Fisher's exact and t tests as appropriate (p<0.05). Forty-one (13.1%) focal points sent in reports for at least four times, (72.2%) received feedback within the last one year and (44.6%) was via the phone. However, 229 (63.6%) of the respondents gave the feedback to the community mainly via the village health committees (44.1%). Respondents' occupation, ever detected notifiable disease; source of information; person the detected disease was reported to; records of notified disease kept by focal points; number of times reports were sent in the last one year, received feedback given to community members, availability of supervisors for focal points and volunteer benefit from being focal points were found to have associations with receipt of feedback on disease case notification (p<0.05). This study found poor reporting but good feedback mechanisms. However, there is need to reform the State CBSS in line with the above findings in order to make it more functional.