Conference abstract
Enhancing community health worker´s malaria management skills in conflict-affected South-West and Littoral regions of Cameroon
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2024:23(3).26
Nov 2024.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2024.23.3.2753
Archived on: 26 Nov 2024
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Malaria case management, community health workers, conflict-affected communities, competency, enhanced supportive supervision
Oral presentation
Enhancing community health worker´s malaria management skills in conflict-affected South-West and Littoral regions of Cameroon
Elvis Asangbeng Tanue1,2,&, Yankam B3, Besem Ebob M3, Modjenpa Noukeme B1, Omam L1, Nganmou Isabelle S4, Metuge A1, Njomo Omam E1
1Reach Out Cameroon, Buea, Cameroon, 2Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon, 3Malaria Consortium, London, United Kingdom, 4Konmofamba Actions Sans Frontière (KASAFRO), Pendja, Cameroun
&Corresponding author
Introduction: Community Health Workers (CHWs) are essential for malaria prevention and treatment. However, supervision, crucial for their competency, is often weak and under-supported. There is limited understanding of what effective supervision entails and how it impacts the performance and motivation of CHWs, especially in contexts affected by armed conflict. The main objective of our study was to assess the effect of enhanced supportive supervision of CHWs on community case management of malaria in conflict-affected settings of the South-West and Littoral Regions of Cameroon.
Methods: monthly and quarterly enhanced supportive supervision sessions were respectively implemented in 22 health areas of the South-West and 16 in the Moungo Division of the Littoral region. The enhanced supportive supervision model was implemented across 8 health districts under the leadership of 6 District Civil Society Organizations and 36 Chief of Health Areas. The supervisions utilized job aids, supervision manuals, and other tools tailored to identify gaps and accompany the CHWs in addressing them at each follow-up session among 80 at CHWs at baseline and 78 at endline studies in their communities. Nine essential malaria case management skills were evaluated at baseline and endline through observations. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.0 software. The change in the level of competence was compared using the McNemar test with statistical significance set at p<0.05.
Results: of the 80 CHWs assessed at endline, 40(51.3) were females. The overall level of competence at baseline was 3(3.8%) and increased to 75(96.2%) after 18 months of enhanced supportive supervision. Improvements were recorded in communication skills [25(32.1%) vs. 76(97.4%), p<0.001], assessing children under-five [5(6.4%) vs. 71(91.0%), p<0.001], performing malaria RDTs [14(17.9%) vs. 75(96.2%), p<0.001], classifying children for referral [10(12.8%) vs. 72(92.3%), p<0.001], classifying children for home treatment [12(15.4%) vs. 61(78.2%), p<0.001], giving correct treatment [3(3.8%) vs. 68(87.2%), p<0.001], accurate treatment advice [15(19.2%) vs. 72(91.3%), p<0.001], giving accurate referral and treatment advice to caregivers [15(19.2%) vs. 71(91.0%), p<0.001] and maintaining accurate patient records [9(11.5%) vs. 72(92.3%), p<0.001].
Conclusion: The study reported how targeted-enhanced supervision of CHWs continuously influences their performance, motivation, and retention to significantly improve malaria case management skills, which is crucial in conflict-affected settings. Enhancing the supervision of CHWs through targeted problem-solving mechanisms can enhance malaria outcomes, particularly in fragile contexts of armed conflict.
Enhancing community health worker´s malaria management skills in conflict-affected South-West and Littoral regions of Cameroon
Elvis Asangbeng Tanue1,2,&, Yankam B3, Besem Ebob M3, Modjenpa Noukeme B1, Omam L1, Nganmou Isabelle S4, Metuge A1, Njomo Omam E1
1Reach Out Cameroon, Buea, Cameroon, 2Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon, 3Malaria Consortium, London, United Kingdom, 4Konmofamba Actions Sans Frontière (KASAFRO), Pendja, Cameroun
&Corresponding author
Introduction: Community Health Workers (CHWs) are essential for malaria prevention and treatment. However, supervision, crucial for their competency, is often weak and under-supported. There is limited understanding of what effective supervision entails and how it impacts the performance and motivation of CHWs, especially in contexts affected by armed conflict. The main objective of our study was to assess the effect of enhanced supportive supervision of CHWs on community case management of malaria in conflict-affected settings of the South-West and Littoral Regions of Cameroon.
Methods: monthly and quarterly enhanced supportive supervision sessions were respectively implemented in 22 health areas of the South-West and 16 in the Moungo Division of the Littoral region. The enhanced supportive supervision model was implemented across 8 health districts under the leadership of 6 District Civil Society Organizations and 36 Chief of Health Areas. The supervisions utilized job aids, supervision manuals, and other tools tailored to identify gaps and accompany the CHWs in addressing them at each follow-up session among 80 at CHWs at baseline and 78 at endline studies in their communities. Nine essential malaria case management skills were evaluated at baseline and endline through observations. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.0 software. The change in the level of competence was compared using the McNemar test with statistical significance set at p<0.05.
Results: of the 80 CHWs assessed at endline, 40(51.3) were females. The overall level of competence at baseline was 3(3.8%) and increased to 75(96.2%) after 18 months of enhanced supportive supervision. Improvements were recorded in communication skills [25(32.1%) vs. 76(97.4%), p<0.001], assessing children under-five [5(6.4%) vs. 71(91.0%), p<0.001], performing malaria RDTs [14(17.9%) vs. 75(96.2%), p<0.001], classifying children for referral [10(12.8%) vs. 72(92.3%), p<0.001], classifying children for home treatment [12(15.4%) vs. 61(78.2%), p<0.001], giving correct treatment [3(3.8%) vs. 68(87.2%), p<0.001], accurate treatment advice [15(19.2%) vs. 72(91.3%), p<0.001], giving accurate referral and treatment advice to caregivers [15(19.2%) vs. 71(91.0%), p<0.001] and maintaining accurate patient records [9(11.5%) vs. 72(92.3%), p<0.001].
Conclusion: The study reported how targeted-enhanced supervision of CHWs continuously influences their performance, motivation, and retention to significantly improve malaria case management skills, which is crucial in conflict-affected settings. Enhancing the supervision of CHWs through targeted problem-solving mechanisms can enhance malaria outcomes, particularly in fragile contexts of armed conflict.
