Title:
Optimizing the role of Community Health Workers in childhood immunization uptake in Sierra Leone
Authors:
Lagawo, Isatu
Place:
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Publisher:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute , VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Year:
2022
PAGE:
43 Pages
Language:
En
Subject:
Health and Nutrition
Keywords:
Immunization, vaccination, child health, CHWs, role, performance
Abstract:
Background: Worldwide, childhood immunization saves the lives of about 2.5 million children under the age of five every year. Yet, in Sierra Leone, low immunization uptake contributes to a high child mortality rate, one of the highest in the world. Community Health Workers (CHWs) were integrated into the health system to complement the health workforce. They have been playing a crucial role in promoting childhood immunization uptake, but certain factors influence their roles. Objectives: To identify factors influencing the role of CHWs in promoting childhood immunization uptake in Sierra Leone and to provide recommendations to policymakers to improve the role of CHWs in childhood immunization. Methodology: A review of the literature on factors influencing the role of CHWs in promoting childhood immunization. A conceptual framework on factors influencing CHWs performance proposed by Kok et al. was used to guide the analysis of this review. Results: A range of factors were found to influence the role of CHWs in promoting childhood immunization uptake. These included contextual factors such as sociocultural norms, values and practices, socioeconomic status, and geographical location. Also health system factors such as insufficient human resources for health (HRH) and finance, insufficient supplies and logistics especially vaccine shortage, and intervention design factors around CHW’s management, their tasks, and roles. Conclusion: Contextual factors, health system factors, and intervention design factors affect the role of CHWs in promoting childhood immunization, and their primary role was promotion/prevention. Therefore, the stakeholders in the health system and CHW intervention implementers should consider all these factors when designing CHWs intervention to improve the role of CHWs in childhood immunization.
Organization:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute , VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Institute:
KIT (Royal Tropical Institute)
Country:
Sierra Leone
Region:
West Africa
Training:
Master of Public Health/International Course in Health Development (MPH/ICHD)
Category:
Research
Right:
@ 2022, Lagawo
Document type:
Thesis/dissertation
File:
qL5SLN3DPU_20231123105846891.pdf