Caregiver parenting practices, dietary diversity knowledge, and association with early childhood development outcomes among children aged 18-29 months in Zanzibar, Tanzania: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Many children in low- and middle-income countries fail to reach their cognitive potential, with experiences before age 3 critical in shaping long-term development. Zanzibar's Jamii ni Afya program is the first national, digitally enabled community health volunteer (CHV) program promoting early childhood development (ECD) following the Nurturing Care Framework within an integrated maternal and child healthcare package. Using program baseline data, we explored home environment, caregivers' parenting, health and nutrition knowledge and practices, and ECD outcomes in Zanzibar. METHODS: We conducted a national household survey among 499 children aged 18-29 months using two-stage cluster sampling in February 2019. The primary outcome was child development score measured using the Caregiver Reported Early Developmental Index (CREDI), with higher scores representing higher levels of child development. We analyzed CREDI scores, along with MICS questions on parenting knowledge, practices, and characteristics of the home environment. We developed multivariate regression models to assess associations between caregiver-child interactions, knowledge of dietary diversity, and ECD. RESULTS: Ten percent of children had overall CREDI z-scores 2 standard deviations [SD] or more below the global reference population mean, with 28% of children at risk of developmental delay with z-scores 1 SD or more below the mean. Cognitive and language domains were of highest concern (10.2 and 12.7% with z-score < - 2 SD). In 3-day recall, 75% of children engaged in ≥4 early stimulating activities with all caregivers averaging 3 total hours of play. CREDI scores were positively associated with greater frequency of caregivers' engagement (ß = 0.036, p = 0.002, 95%CI = [0.014, 0.058]), and dietary diversity knowledge (ß = 0.564, p < 0.001, 95%CI = [0.281, 0.846]). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate a positive association between both the frequency of caregiver child interactions and knowledge of adequate dietary diversity, and ECD outcomes. This aligns with global evidence that promoting early stimulation, play and learning opportunities, and dietary diversity can improve developmental outcomes. Further study is needed to establish causal relationships and assess the impact of ECD programming in Zanzibar.

A review of the maternal iron and folic acid supplementation programme in Nepal: Achievements and challenges.

In the late 1990s, an estimated 75% of pregnant women in Nepal were anaemic. Although iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements were available free of charge, coverage among pregnant women was very low. In response, the Government of Nepal launched the Iron Intensification Programme (IIP) in 2003 to improve the coverage of IFA supplementation and anthelminthic treatment during pregnancy, as well as promote the utilization of antenatal care. This review examined how the IIP programme contributed to Nepal's success in increasing the consumption of IFA supplements during pregnancy. Nepal's cadre of Female Community Health Volunteers were engaged in the IIP to support the community-based distribution of IFA supplements to pregnant women and complement IFA distribution through health facilities and outreach services. As a result, the country achieved a fourfold increase in the proportion of women who took IFA supplements during pregnancy between 2001 and 2016 (from 23% to 91%) and a 12-fold increase in the proportion who took IFA supplements for at least 90 days during pregnancy (from 6% to 71%). The increase in coverage of IFA supplements accompanied an increase in the coverage of antenatal care during the same period. By 2016, the prevalence of anaemia in pregnant women decreased to 46%, highlighting the need to tackle other causes of anaemia and improve haemoglobin concentration before pregnancy, while maintaining the successful efforts to reach pregnant women with IFA supplements at the community level.

Role of community health volunteers in identifying people with elevated blood pressure for diagnosis and monitoring of hypertension in Malawi: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been greater recognition of the important role of community health volunteers in many countries and their important role informs many health programs. This include health education, provision of services such as screening, monitoring and referral to health facilities. Their roles are better understood in the areas of communicable diseases like HIV infection, Tuberculosis and Malaria however little is known about their role in non-communicable diseases. This study seeks to explore perception of CHVs' functions, tasks, and their fulfilment in identifying people with elevated blood pressure for diagnosis and monitoring of hypertension in Lilongwe, Malawi. METHODS: This was a qualitative naturalistic research design utilizing observation and semi-structured interviews with community health volunteers working in Lilongwe, Malawi. Interviews were carried out with the researcher. Participants were recruited from the ZaMaC project. An interview guide was developed with a category-guided deductive approach. The interviews were recorded through note taking. Data analysis was performed using content analysis approach. RESULTS: Community health volunteers have multiple roles in prevention and monitoring of hypertension. They act as health educators and provide lifestyle counselling. They screened for hypertension and monitored blood pressure and assisted community members to navigate the health system such as linkage to health facilities. These roles were shaped in response to community needs. CONCLUSION: This study indicates the complexities of the roles of community health volunteer in identifying people with elevated BP for diagnosis and monitoring of hypertension. Understanding community health volunteers' roles provides insight into their required competencies in provision of their daily activities as well as required training to fill in their knowledge gaps.

Factors influencing the performance of community health volunteers working within urban informal settlements in low- and middle-income countries: a qualitative meta-synthesis review.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information on community health volunteer (CHV) programmes in urban informal settlements in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This is despite such settings accounting for a high burden of disease. Many factors intersect to influence the performance of CHVs working in urban informal settlements in LMICs. This review was conducted to identify both the programme level and contextual factors influencing performance of CHVs working in urban informal settlements in LMICs. METHODS: Four databases were searched for qualitative and mixed method studies focusing on CHVs working in urban and peri-urban informal settlements in LMICs. We focused on CHV programme outcome measures at CHV individual level. A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria and were double read to extract relevant data. Thematic coding was conducted, and data synthesized across ten categories of both programme and contextual factors influencing CHV performance. Quality was assessed using both the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool (MMAST); and certainty of evidence evaluated using the Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (CERQual) approach. RESULTS: Key programme-level factors reported to enhance CHV performance in urban informal settlements in LMICs included both financial and non-financial incentives, training, the availability of supplies and resources, health system linkage, family support, and supportive supervision. At the broad contextual level, factors found to negatively influence the performance of CHVs included insecurity in terms of personal safety and the demand for financial and material support by households within the community. These factors interacted to shape CHV performance and impacted on implementation of CHV programmes in urban informal settlements. CONCLUSION: This review identified the influence of both programme-level and contextual factors on CHVs working in both urban and peri-urban informal settlements in LMICs. The findings suggest that programmes working in such settings should consider adequate remuneration for CHVs, integrated and holistic training, adequate supplies and resources, adequate health system linkages, family support and supportive supervision. In addition, programmes should also consider CHV personal safety issues and the community expectations.

Promoting positive maternal, newborn, and child health behaviors through a group-based health education and microfinance program: a prospective matched cohort study in western Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Chamas for Change (Chamas) is a group-based health education and microfinance program for pregnant and postpartum women that aims to address inequities contributing to high rates of maternal and infant mortality in rural western Kenya. In this prospective matched cohort study, we evaluated the association between Chamas participation and facility-based delivery. We additionally explored the effect of participation on promoting other positive maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) behaviors. METHODS: We prospectively compared outcomes between a cohort of Chamas participants and controls matched for age, parity, and prenatal care location. Between October-December 2012, government-sponsored community health volunteers (CHV) recruited pregnant women attending their first antenatal care (ANC) visits at rural health facilities in Busia County to participate in Chamas. Women enrolled in Chamas agreed to attend group-based health education and microfinance sessions for one year; controls received the standard of care. We used descriptive analyses, multivariable logistic regression models, and random effect models to compare outcomes across cohorts 12 months following enrollment, with α set to 0.05. RESULTS: Compared to controls (n = 115), a significantly higher proportion of Chamas participants (n = 211) delivered in a health facility (84.4% vs. 50.4%, p < 0.001), attended at least four ANC visits (64.0% vs. 37.4%, p < 0·001), exclusively breastfed to six months (82.0% vs. 47.0%, p < 0·001), and received a CHV home visit within 48 h postpartum (75.8% vs. 38.3%, p < 0·001). In multivariable models, Chamas participants were over five times as likely as controls to deliver in a health facility (OR 5.49, 95% CI 3.12-9.64, p < 0.001). Though not significant, Chamas participants experienced a lower proportion of stillbirths (0.9% vs. 5.2%), miscarriages (5.2% vs. 7.8%), infant deaths (2.8% vs. 3.4%), and maternal deaths (0.9% vs. 1.7%) compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Chamas participation was associated with increased odds of facility-based delivery compared to the standard of care in rural western Kenya. Larger proportions of program participants also practiced other positive MNCH behaviors. Our findings demonstrate Chamas' potential to achieve population-level MNCH benefits; however, a larger study is needed to validate this observed effect. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03188250 (retrospectively registered 31 May 2017).

Usability and acceptability of an automated respiratory rate counter to assess childhood pneumonia in Nepal.

AIM: Pneumonia is the leading cause of child death after the neonatal period, resulting from late care seeking and inappropriate treatment. Diagnosis involves counting respiratory rate (RR); however, RR counting remains challenging for health workers and miscounting, and misclassification of RR is common. We evaluated the usability of a new automated RR counter, the Philips Children's Respiratory Monitor (ChARM), to Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs), and its acceptability to FCHVs and caregivers in Nepal. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jumla district, Nepal. About 133 FCHVs were observed between September and December 2018 when using ChARM during 517 sick child consultations, 264 after training and 253 after 2 months of routine use of ChARM. Acceptability of the ChARM was explored using semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: FCHV adherence to guidelines after 2 months of using ChARM routinely was 52.8% (95% CI 46.6-58.9). The qualitative findings suggest that ChARM is acceptable to FCHVs and caregivers; however, capacity constraints such as older age and low literacy and impacted device usability were mentioned. CONCLUSION: Further research on the performance, cost-effectiveness and implementation feasibility of this device is recommended, especially among low-literate CHWs.

A Qualitative Exploration of Women's Experiences with a Community Health Volunteer-Led Cervical Cancer Educational Module in Migori County, Kenya.

Detection and treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical precancer through screening programs is an effective way to reduce cervical cancer deaths. However, high cervical cancer mortality persists in low- and middle-income countries. As screening programs become more widely available, it is essential to understand how knowledge about cervical cancer and perceived disease risk impacts screening uptake and acceptability. We evaluated women's experiences with a cervical cancer education strategy led by community health volunteers (CHVs) in Migori County, Kenya, as part of a cluster randomized controlled trial of cervical cancer screening implementation strategies. The educational modules employed simple language and images and sought to increase understanding of the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer, the mechanisms of self-collected HPV testing, and the importance of cervical cancer screening. Modules took place in three different contexts throughout the study: (1) during community mobilization; (2) prior to screening in either community health campaigns or health facilities; and (3) prior to treatment. Between January and September 2016, we conducted in-depth interviews with 525 participants to assess their experience with various aspects of the screening program. After the context-specific educational modules, women reported increased awareness of cervical cancer screening and willingness to screen, described HPV- and cervical cancer-related stigma and emphasized the use of educational modules to reduce stigma. Some misconceptions about cervical cancer were evident. With effective and context-specific training, lay health workers, such as CHVs, can help bridge the gap between cervical cancer screening uptake and acceptability.

Reliability of length measurements collected by community nurses and health volunteers in rural growth monitoring and promotion services.

BACKGROUND: Length measurements are important in growth, monitoring and promotion (GMP) for the surveillance of a child's weight-for-length and length-for-age. These two indices provide an indication of a child's risk of becoming wasted or stunted, and are more informative about a child's growth than the widely used weight-for-age index (underweight). Although the introduction of length measurements in GMP is recommended by the World Health Organization, concerns about the reliability of length measurements collected in rural outreach settings have been expressed by stakeholders. Our aim was to describe the reliability and challenges associated with community health personnel measuring length for rural outreach GMP activities. METHODS: Two reliability studies (A and B), using 10 children less than 24 months each, were conducted in the GMP services of a rural district in Ghana. Fifteen nurses and 15 health volunteers (HV) with no prior experience in length measurements were trained. Intra- and inter-observer technical error of measurement (TEM), average bias from expert anthropometrist, and coefficient of reliability (R) of length measurements were assessed and compared across sessions. Observations and interviews were used to understand the ability and experiences of health personnel with measuring length at outreach GMP. RESULTS: Inter-observer TEM was larger than intra-observer TEM for both nurses and HV at both sessions and was unacceptably (compared to error standards) high in both groups at both time points. Average biases from expert's measurements were within acceptable limits, however, both groups tended to underestimate length measurements. The R for lengths collected by nurses (92.3%) was higher at session B compared to that of HV (87.5%). Length measurements taken by nurses and HV, and those taken by an experienced anthropometrist at GMP sessions were of moderate agreement (kappa = 0.53, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The reliability of length measurements improved after two refresher trainings for nurses but not for HV. In addition, length measurements taken during GMP sessions may be susceptible to errors due to overburdened health personnel and crowded GMP clinics. There is need for both pre- and in-service training of nurses and HV on length measurements and procedures to improve reliability of length measurements.

Assessment of 'accredited social health activists'-a national community health volunteer scheme in Karnataka State, India.

About 700,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) have been deployed as community health volunteers throughout India over the last few years. The objective of our study was to assess adherence to selection criteria in the recruitment of ASHA workers and to assess their performance against their job descriptions in Karnataka state, India. A cross-sectional survey, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, was undertaken in 2012. Three districts, 12 taluks (subdistricts), and 300 villages were selected through a sequential sampling scheme. For the quantitative survey, 300 ASHAs and 1,800 mothers were interviewed using sets of structured questionnaire. For the qualitative study, programme officers were interviewed via in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Mean ± SD age of ASHAs was 30.3 ± 5.0 years, and about 90% (261/294) were currently married, with eight years of schooling. ASHAs were predominantly (>80%) involved in certain tasks: home-visits, antenatal counselling, delivery escort services, breastfeeding advice, and immunization advice. Performance was moderate (40-60%) for: drug provision for tuberculosis, caring of children with diarrhoea or pneumonia, and organizing village meetings for health action. Performance was low (<25%) for advice on: contraceptive-use, obstetric danger sign assessment, and neonatal care. This was self-reported by ASHAs and corroborated by mothers. In conclusion, ASHA workers were largely recruited as per preset selection criteria with regard to age, education, family status, income, and residence. The ASHA workers were found to be functional in some areas with scope for improvement in others. The role of an ASHA worker was perceived to be more of a link-worker/facilitator rather than a community health worker or a social activist.

Socio-culturally adapted educational videos increase maternal and newborn health knowledge in pregnant women and female community health volunteers in Nepal's Khotang district.

OBJECTIVES: While Nepal has made significant improvements in maternal and newborn health overall, the lack of maternal and newborn health-related knowledge in the more rural parts of the country has led to significant disparities in terms of both maternal and newborn health service utilization and maternal and newborn health outcomes. This study aimed to assess whether viewing culturally adapted maternal and newborn health educational films had a positive impact on (1) the maternal and newborn health knowledge levels among pregnant women and (2) the postpartum hemorrhage-related knowledge levels among Female Community Health Volunteers in rural Nepal. METHODS: Four locations were selected for their remoteness and comparatively high number of pregnancies. A convenience sample of 101 pregnant women and 39 Female Community Health Volunteers were enrolled in the study. A pre- and post-test design was employed to assess this intervention. Paired t-tests were used to analyze the change in number of correct responses by knowledge domain for multi-film participants, producing a numeric "mean knowledge score," and McNemar's tests were used to calculate the change and significance among select questions grouped into distinct themes, domains, and points of "maternal and newborn health-related knowledge" based on the priorities outlined in Nepal's maternal and newborn health 2030 goals. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in knowledge scores on maternal and newborn health issues after watching the educational films for both types of participants. The mean knowledge score for pregnant women improved from 10 to 15 (P < 0.001) for the Understanding Antenatal Care (ANC) film, 3 to 10 (P < 0.001) for the Warning Sign in Pregnancy film, and 6 to 14 (P < 0.001) for the Newborn Care film. For the Female Community Health Volunteers, knowledge also significantly improved (P < 0.05) in all except one category after watching the postpartum hemorrhage film. The percent that correctly answered when to administer misoprostol (80%-95%) was the only variable in which knowledge improvement was not significant (P < 0.057). CONCLUSION: Using culturally adapted educational films is an effective intervention to improve short-term maternal and newborn health-related knowledge among rural populations with low educational levels. The authors recommend additional larger-scale trials of this type of intervention in Nepal and other low- and middle-income countries to determine the impact on long-term maternal and newborn health knowledge and behaviors among rural populations.

A Community Health Volunteer Involvement Program for Glycated Hemoglobin Reduction Among Thai Patients With Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes: A Mixed-Method Study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is increasing and a shortage exists of nurses to care for patients. Community health volunteers (CHVs) pose potential supportive networks in assisting patients to perform healthy behaviors. AIM: The study aimed to develop and investigate the effects of a CHV involvement program on reducing glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels among Thai patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This sequential mixed-method study was conducted from January to June 2019. Sixty patients with HbA1c exceeding 7% were recruited from 2 communities assigned as the intervention and comparison groups. Using King's General Systems Framework as a basis to develop the program, the study initially explored the perceptions of diabetes and its management among patients, family members, and CHVs. Then, a quasi-experimental study with 2 groups pretest-posttest design was conducted and compared with usual care. The intervention included educational sessions, home visits, and activities created by CHVs including a campaign, broadcasting, and health food shops. Quantitative data were collected at baseline and 20-week follow-up and analyzed by descriptive statistics, Independent t-test, and paired t-test. RESULTS: The intervention group exhibited a lower mean HbA1c (p < .001) and reported significant, improvement concerning diabetes knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived support, and behavior compared with the comparison group at the end of the study (Cohen's d > 1.0, effect size large). CONCLUSION: Applying this framework to develop the program could benefit glycemic control among patients with uncontrolled diabetes residing in communities. Further studies should be conducted on a large sample to demonstrate the efficacy of the program.

Effect of a female community health volunteer-delivered intervention to increase cervical cancer screening uptake in Nepal: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

This study aimed to assess the effect of Female Community Health Volunteer (FCHV)-delivered intervention to increase cervical cancer screening uptake among Nepalese women. A community-based, open-label, 2-group, cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) was conducted in a semi-urban setting in Western Nepal. Fourteen clusters (1:1) were randomly assigned to the intervention group, which received a 12-month intervention delivered by FCHVs or the control group (usual care). Between April and June 2019, 690 women aged 30-60 years were recruited for CRCT during the baseline survey. A follow-up assessment was conducted after the completion of the 12 months intervention. The primary outcome was the change in cervical cancer screening from baseline to 12-month follow-up. Of 690 women, 646 women completed the trial. 254 women in the intervention group and 385 women in the control group were included in the primary outcome analysis. There was a significant increase in cervical cancer screening uptake in the intervention group [relative risk (RR), 1.48; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.32, 1.66; P < 0.01)], compared to the control group. The secondary outcome was the change in median knowledge score among women that increased from 2 [interquartile range (IQR) 1-4] (baseline) to 6 [IQR 3-9] (follow-up) in the intervention group. However, the median knowledge score remained almost the same among women in the control group 2 [IQR 1-5] to 3 [IQR 2-5]. Our study findings reported that an FCHV-delivered intervention significantly increased cervical cancer screening uptake among women living in a semi-urban setting in Nepal. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03808064.

Critical success factors for high routine immunization performance: A case study of Nepal.

Introduction: The essential components of a vaccine delivery system are well-documented, but robust evidence on how and why the related processes and implementation strategies drive catalytic improvements in vaccination coverage are not well established. To address this gap, we identified critical success factors that may have led to substantial improvements in routine childhood immunization coverage in Nepal from 2000 through 2019. Methods: We identified Nepal as an exemplar in the delivery of early childhood immunization through analysis of DTP1 and DTP3 coverage data. Through interviews and focus group discussions at the national, regional, district, health post, and community level, we investigated factors that contributed to high and sustained vaccine coverage. We conducted a thematic analysis through application of implementation science frameworks to determine critical success factors. We triangulated these findings with quantitative analyses using publicly available data. Results: The following success factors emerged: 1) Codification of health as a human right, - along with other vaccine-specific legislation - ensured the stability of vaccination programming; 2) National and multi-national partnerships supported information sharing, division of labor, and mutual capacity building; 3) Pro-vaccine messaging through various mediums, which was tailored to local needs, generated public awareness; 4) Female Community Health Volunteers educated community members as trusted and compassionate neighbors; and 5) Cultural values fostered collective responsibility and community ownership of vaccine coverage. Conclusion: This case study of Nepal suggests that the success of its national immunization program relied on the engagement and understanding of the beneficiaries. The immunization program was supported by consistent and reliable commitment, collaboration, awareness, and collective responsibility between the government, community, and partners. These networks are strengthened through a collective dedication to vaccination programming and a universal belief in health as a human right.

Development and evaluation of a digital, community-based intervention to reduce noncommunicable disease risk in a low-resource urban setting in Malaysia: a research protocol.

BACKGROUND: Noncommunicable disease burden is rising in Malaysia, accounting for 72% of all deaths. Urbanization and globalization have contributed to changing patterns of diet and physical activity, creating an obesogenic environment that increases noncommunicable disease risk, especially in low-income populations. Community-based and technological interventions can play an important role in addressing structural determinants that influence noncommunicable disease burden. The Better Health Programme Malaysia aims to co-create and develop a community-based digital intervention for low-income populations to enable community stakeholders to address obesogenic environments and improve people's knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to noncommunicable disease risk. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study will assess community member and community health volunteer knowledge, attitudes, and practices on noncommunicable disease prevention, risk factors, and health-seeking behavior in three geographical areas of Kuala Lumpur, each representing a different ethnicity (Malay, Indian, and Chinese). Assessment will take place before and after a 9-month intervention period, comparing intervention areas with matched control geographies. We plan to engage 2880 community members and 45 community health volunteers across the six geographic areas. A digital health needs assessment will inform modification of digital health tools to support project aims. Intervention co-creation will use a discrete choice experiment to identify community preferences among evidence-based intervention options, building from data collected on community knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Community health volunteers will work with local businesses and other stakeholders to effect change in obesogenic environments and NCD risk. The study has been approved by the Malaysian Ministry of Health Medical Research Ethical Committee. DISCUSSION: The Better Health Programme Malaysia anticipates a bottom-up approach that relies on community health volunteers collaborating with local businesses to implement activities that address obesogenic environments and improve community knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to NCD risk. The planned co-creation process will determine which interventions will be most locally relevant, feasible, and needed. The effort aims to empower community members and community health volunteers to drive change that improves their own health and wellbeing. The learnings can be useful nationally and sub-nationally in Malaysia, as well as across similar settings that are working with community stakeholders to reduce noncommunicable disease risk. TRIAL REGISTRATION: National Medical Research Register, Malaysia; NMRR-20-1004-54787 (IIR); July 7, 2020.

Engaging female community health volunteers in maternal health services and its satisfaction among village mothers in Hill and Mountain Regions, Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) are service providers and educators for maternal health at the village level (in the hill and Terai district) in Nepal. At present, there are insufficient data and little is understood about the maternal health service (MHS) of FCHVs from Nepali mothers' perspective. METHODOLOGY: The research was undertaken in three hill and mountain regions where there should be at least one FCHVs per ward, Thulo sirubari, Sano sirubari and Jalkeni in Chautara Sangachowkgadi in Nepal, during five days from 5 April to 9 April 2019. The study worked with a local partner organisation, Green Tara Nepal (GTN). The study took the form of a qualitative approach with a community-based snowball approach (seed-and-recruit approach), which consisted of interviews with six key informants and 11 village mothers who have a child aged under five. RESULTS: The study found that all participated mothers recognised FCHVs and that it was easy to contact them within walking distance. They were happy with FCHV's existence and had a close relationship between them. They were all satisfied with MHS from FCHVs. In particular, accessibility of FCHVs, frequent home visits, monthly mothers' meetings, and regular ANC were the main points of satisfaction. Moreover, NGO intervention increased their satisfaction and contributed significantly to FCHV activities. However, the lack of meeting place and sustainable incentives are challenging to implement monthly mothers' meetings. Sufficient regular refresher training for FCHVs is also required to educate them better. Furthermore, the local government's unequally distributed budget for FCHVs programmes, small incentives, and benefits for FCHVs are challenges. CONCLUSION: This study offered various views with vivid memories into the satisfaction of FCHV's MHS among village mothers in three hill and mountain regions of Nepal. FCHVs are essential assets for MHS in rural communities. The FCHVs programme should be complemented by (1) supporting suitable meeting place of mother's meeting, (2) providing sustainable and sufficient budget for mother's meeting and FCHVs, (3) distributing the budget equally in each ward, (4) offering frequent FCHVs training to improve the MHS for village mothers.

"We have a lot of home deliveries" A qualitative study on the impact of COVID-19 on access to and utilization of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health care among refugee women in urban Eastleigh, Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about how pregnant refugee women, and the frontline health care workers who serve them, are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of health, and health service access. Women refugees are classified as a vulnerable group with regard to pregnancy outcomes and access to maternal care, and may be disproportionally at risk for COVID-19 infection as they are likely to face unique barriers to information and access to reproductive health services during the pandemic. Few studies identify gaps that could inform potential interventions to improve service uptake for refugee women, particularly in the context of COVID-19. Yet, understanding how pregnant refugees are impacted in the context of the pandemic is critical to developing and implementing strategies and measures that can help in their care and the delivery of health services. AIMS: This study aimed to improve understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on women refugees' access to and utilisation of antenatal care, delivery and postnatal care in Eastleigh, Kenya. METHODS: The study was conducted in Eastleigh, a semi-urban centre in Nairobi. We conducted 25 in-depth interviews with facility and community health care staff (n = 10) and women attending antenatal (n = 10) and postnatal care services (n = 5) in October 2020. Data was analysed using NVIVO 12 software. FINDINGS: Our findings suggest that within the first eight months of COVID-19, preferences for home deliveries by refugee women increased and health care workers reported having observed reduced utilisation of services and delayed care. Fear, economic challenges and lack of migrant-inclusive health system policies were key factors influencing home deliveries and delayed and low uptake of facility-based care. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the need to mitigate and lower barriers that prevent refugee women from seeking care at health facilities. One approach includes the development of refugee-inclusive public health policies, particularly during a pandemic, and the need to tailor health care services for refugees at facilities and in the communities.

A Retrospective Cross Sectional Study of the Effectiveness of a Project in Improving Infant Health in Bwindi, South Western Uganda.

Introduction: Low-cost community-based interventions to improve infant health potentially offer an exciting means of progressing toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the feasibility of such interventions in low-income settings remains unclear. Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH), Uganda implemented a 3-year nurse-led community project to address child-health issues. Nurses supported Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) and visited mothers pre- and/or postnatally to assess and educate mothers and infants. CHVs gathered data and gave basic advice on health and hygiene to mothers. We hypothesized that increased interventions by nurses and CHVs and increased contact with households, would improve health and reduce infant mortality. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study analyzing routine data of all children born between January 2015 and December 2016. There were three interventions: antenatal nurse visit, postnatal nurse visit and CHV participation. Children received different numbers of interventions. We defined four diverse outcomes: facility-based delivery, immunization completeness, nutritional status, and infant mortality. Odds ratios, adjusted odds ratios, and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess associations between interventions and outcomes. Results: Of the 4,442 children born in 2015 and 2016, 91% were visited by a nurse (81% antenatally and 10% postnatally); 7% lived in villages with a high participating CHV. Households receiving a postnatal visit were more likely to complete immunization (aOR: 1.55, p = 0.016) and have the infant survive (aOR: 1.90, p = 0.05). Children from a hard-to-reach village (no road access) were less likely to be delivered in a health facility (aOR: 0.55, p < 0.001) and less likely to survive in their first year (aOR: 0.69, p = 0.03). Having two or more interventions was associated with a child having all four positive outcomes (aOR 0.78, p = 0.03). Lack of baseline data, a control area, or integrated assessment data limited more detailed evaluation. Conclusion: Visits to mothers after birth, by a nurse to educate and identify child illness, were associated with lower infant mortality and improved infant health as measured by completion of immunizations. Community health interventions could potentially have a greater impact if focused on hard-to-reach areas. Building evaluation into all project designs, whether local or internationally funded, would enable greater learning, and hence better use of resources.

Community Health Workers and Disasters: Lessons Learned from the 2015 Earthquake in Nepal.

Introduction The Nepal earthquake of 2015 was a major disaster that exacted an enormous toll on human lives and caused extensive damage to the infrastructure of the region. Similar to other developing countries, Nepal has a network of community health workers (CHWs; known as female community health volunteers [FCHVs]) that was in place prior to the earthquake and continues to function to improve maternal and child health. These FCHVs and other community members were responsible, by default, for providing the first wave of assistance after the earthquake. Hypothesis/Problem Community health workers such as FCHVs could be used to provide formal relief services in the event of an emergency, but there is a paucity of evidence-based literature on how to best utilize them in disaster risk reduction, preparedness, and response. Data are needed to further characterize the roles that this cadre has played in past disasters and what strategies can be implemented to better incorporate them into future emergency management. METHODS: In March 2016, key-informant interviews, FCHV interviews, and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in Nepali health facilities using semi-structured guides. The audio-recorded data were obtained with the assistance of a translator (Nepali-English), transcribed verbatim in English, and coded by two independent researchers (manually and with NVivo 11 Pro software [QSR International; Melbourne, Australia]). RESULTS: Across seven different regions, 14 interviews with FCHVs, two FGDs with community women, and three key-informant interviews were conducted. Four major themes emerged around the topic of FCHVs and the 2015 earthquake: (1) community care and rapport between FCHVs and local residents; (2) emergency response of FCHVs in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake; (3) training requested to improve the FCHVs' ability to manage disasters; and (4) interaction with relief organizations and how to create collaborations that provide aid relief more effectively. CONCLUSIONS: The FCHVs in Nepal provided multiple services to their communities in the aftermath of the earthquake, largely without any specific training or instruction. Proper preparation, in addition to improved collaboration with aid agencies, could increase the capacity of FCHVs to respond in the event of a future disaster. The information gained from this study of the FCHV experience in the Nepal earthquake could be used to inform risk reduction and emergency management policies for CHWs in various settings worldwide. Fredricks K , Dinh H , Kusi M , Yogal C , Karmacharya BM , Burke TF , Nelson BD . Community health workers and disasters: lessons learned from the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):604-609.

Pilot implementation of a contact tracing intervention for tuberculosis case detection in Kisumu County, Kenya.

Leveraging an existing community health strategy, a contact tracing intervention was piloted under routine programmatic conditions at three facilities in Kisumu County, Kenya. Data collected during a 6-month period were compared to existing programmatic data. After implementation of the intervention, we found enhanced programmatic contact tracing practices, noting an increase in the proportions of index cases traced, symptomatic contacts referred, referred contacts presenting to a facility for tuberculosis screening, and eligible contacts started on isoniazid preventive therapy. As contact tracing is scaled up, health ministries should consider the adoption of similar contact tracing interventions to improve contact tracing practices.

En s'appuyant sur la stratégie de santé communautaire existante, une intervention de recherche des contacts a été pilotée dans des conditions de routine des programmes dans trois structures du comté de Kisumu, Kenya. Les données recueillies sur une période de 6 mois ont été comparées aux données de programme existantes. Après la mise en œuvre de l'intervention, nous avons trouvé des pratiques améliorées de recherche des contacts dans les programmes, notant une augmentation des proportions de recherche des cas index, de référence des contacts symptomatiques, de présentation des contacts référés vers une structure de dépistage de la tuberculose et de mise en route des contacts éligibles sous traitement préventif par isoniazide. A mesure que la recherche des contacts est accrue, les ministres de la santé devraient envisager l'adoption d'interventions similaires de recherche des contacts afin d'améliorer les pratiques de recherche des contacts.

A partir de una estrategia de salud comunitaria existente, se puso a prueba una intervención de investigación de contactos de los pacientes tuberculosos (TB) en las condiciones programáticas corrientes, en tres establecimientos del condado de Kisumu en Kenia. Los datos recogidos durante un período de 6 meses se compararon con los datos existentes del programa. Después de la ejecución de la intervención se observó una intensificación de las prácticas programáticas de seguimiento de los contactos, con un aumento de la proporción de casos iniciales localizados, la remisión de los contactos sintomáticos, la remisión de los contactos que acudían a un centro con el fin de practicar la detección de la TB y un aumento del número de pacientes idóneos que comenzaban el tratamiento preventivo con isoniazida. Al ampliar la escala del seguimiento de los contactos, los ministerios de salud deberían considerar la adopción de intervenciones de investigación de contactos semejantes a la que se ensayó en el presente estudio, con el fin de mejorar las prácticas de localización de contactos.

Literacy and motivation for the prevention and control of hypertension among female community health volunteers: a qualitative study from Nepal.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in Nepal. Thus, there is a need for a programme to improve primary healthcare. One possibility is to assign prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hypertension to female community health volunteers (FCHVs). OBJECTIVE: To assess literacy and motivation to be involved in a hypertension prevention and control programme in Nepal among FCHVs. DESIGN: Five focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with a total of 69 FCHVs in Lekhnath municipality, Kaski district, Nepal. Seven themes were developed on the basis of data collection: 1) knowledge about hypertension; 2) risk factors of hypertension; 3) prevention and control of hypertension; 4) access to treatment for hypertension in the community; 5) learning about blood pressure measurement; 6) ability to raise blood pressure awareness in the community; 7) possible challenges for their future involvement. Data were analysed using the thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: FCHVs have some knowledge about diagnosis, risk factors, and complications of hypertension. General unanimity was observed in the understanding that hypertension and risk factors needed to be addressed. The willingness of FCHVs to contribute to prevention, control, and management was strong, and they were confident that with some basic training they could obtain skills in hypertension management. CONCLUSIONS: Despite limited knowledge about hypertension, FCHVs expressed willingness and readiness to be trained in hypertension management. This study supports the possibility of involving FCHVs in prevention and control of hypertension in Nepal.