Community-Based Surveillance: Knowledge and skills of Community Health Workers in epidemics setting in Ganjuwa LGA, Nigeria

Résumé

Introduction: Community-based surveillance (CBS) is essential for early detection and
prompt response to epidemic-prone diseases (EPD). Community Health Workers
(CHWs), trained in basic healthcare services, can play a vital role in this process. Like
many Local government Areas (LGA) in Nigeria, between January and September 2023,
Ganjuwa LGA in Bauchi state was facing a simultaneous outbreak of measles, pertussis,
Diphtheria, and Lassa Fever.
Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study among the CHWs in the Ganjuwa LGA to
assess their knowledge and skills in CBS of EPD by using a questionnaire. Exhaustive
sampling of CHWs implicated in CBS in Ganjuwa LGA and who gave verbal consent
were included. Stata 16.0 software was used for analysis. The final score of knowledge of
CHWs on CBS was calculated with the rate of the total best answers given by the CHWs
based on five questions fixed.
Results: The study enrolled 71 CHWs with a majority being male (61.97%) and an
average age of 27 years. The education level of the CHWs varied, with 61.97% having
completed secondary school, 29.58% having a university education, and 8.45% having
completed primary school. In terms of experience, the majority of CHWs had 1 year of
experience (73.24%), followed by 2 years (15.49%). The findings revealed that only a
small percentage of CHWs (23.94%) recognized that Ganjuwa LGA was affected by four
outbreaks, and 35.21% were aware that EPD could be transmitted through various means
in communities. The overall knowledge score of the CHWs was relatively low, with a
mean score of 0.4 (ranging from 0 to 1). Most CHWs had a score of 0.2, while only
5.63% achieved a score of 1. On the positive side, a significant majority of CHWs felt
comfortable conducting home visits to identify suspected cases of EPD (76.06%) and
expressed confidence in their ability to educate community members about disease
surveillance and reporting (71.83%). Additionally, a majority of CHWs were familiar with
the process of collecting and recording data related to EPD at the community level
(64.79%). Most CHWs also expressed willingness to undergo additional training to
improve their knowledge and skills in CBS (64.79%) and reported working well with local
health facilities and authorities for information sharing and collaboration on disease
surveillance efforts (73.24%). Conclusion: Overall, these findings highlight both strengths and areas for improvement
in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of CHWs regarding disease surveillance and
reporting in the community. Targeted training interventions can help address the gaps
identified and further enhance the effectiveness of CHWs in their roles

Mots-clés

Community-based surveillance, epidemic-prone diseases

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