community engagement for maternal health: lessons learned from southern ethiopia
TRANSCRIPT
Community engagement for maternal health: lessons learned from southern Ethiopia
Symposium on Community Health Workers
The REACHOUT project is funded by the European Union
Daniel G. Datiko
Hotel Africana, Kampala, Uganda21 February 2017
Background
Maternal Health is priority health problem MMR - 353 per 105 live births
Barriers to seeking care include Socio-economic barriers
Low health service coverage Opportunity cost Low community awareness
Weak community based structures and engagement
Background
Ethiopia launched HEP
Maternal health services
Primary Health Care Unit HEWs
HDAs
Pregnant women forum
Improve access to care
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Objective
Explore the role of community engagement in
maternal health service delivery
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Methods
Conducted in southern Ethiopia
Shebedino district
Population of 261,271 living in 32 villages
Health facilities 9 health centres
32 health posts
65 HEWs
Context analysis led to focused community engagement action
Mixed method: quantitative and qualitative
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Results
HDAs engagement
HDA engagement increased from 11% to 45%
Identification and referral of pregnant women
increased from 43% to 85%. “Generally there is improvement in community
engagement in HDA meetings’’ (HEW interview)
"In this year HDA members attend the meeting every two weeks ….which was
not really good in previous time’’ (community interview, woman)
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Results
PWF and HEWs engagement
PWF attendance increased from 48 to > 95%
ANC follow up increased to 77%
Institutional delivery increased to 83%
“there is increased and visible participation of women in
pregnant women forums’’ (HEW interview)
" …but now women know that they should visit
four times ….’’ (community interview, woman)
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Conclusion
HDA reached HHs and linked pregnant women to care
PWF improved awareness and service utilization
HEWs linked the community with health system
Ethiopian community based initiative
Improved community engagement
Contributed to improved maternal health
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Acknowledgment
EU for funding REACH OUT project Regional Health Bureau Health workers in the community REACH ETHIOPIA