Abstract

The utilization of Village Health Workers (VHWs) was studied in a rural area of The Gambia 3 years after the introduction of a village-based Primary Health Care (PHC) programme. Of 23 children who died from conditions treatable at village level, only five were first seen by the VHW. Fourteen were seen elsewhere in the region by staff more qualified than the first tier workers. The implications of this pattern of utilization on the lack of impact of VHWs on mortality are discussed. Only half of the non-fatal illnesses were attended to by VHWs. Reasons for this included such factors as lack of knowledge of services available, shortages of money, absence of the VHW at critical periods and social or political disputes with VHWs. Attempts must be made to tackle these fundamental problems if VHWs are to be successfully incorporated into the health services.

PIP:

A researcher reviewed village health worker (VHW) utilization in a primary health care (PHC) program in villages around Farafenni in North Bank division of The Gambia. 47 children 7 years old died between April 1986-March 1987. WHWs could have treated the illnesses (malaria, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infection) that killed 23 (49%) of these children. Yet they treated only 6 of the 23 while other health workers in the region treated 14 children. 3 children received no treatment. Further a traditional healer later treated 3 of those seen by a VHW before death. Parents of a fatally ill child with diarrhea were a bit more likely to take the child to a traditionally healer than a VHW. None of the VHWs referred any of the fatally ill children to the next PHC level. Chronic diarrhea/malnutrition, chronic cough, meningitis, measles, and septicemia caused the death of 20 of the 24 remaining children. A VHW treated only 1 of the 24 remaining children before death. Moreover a VHW saw only 48% of the living children who had experienced illness during the study period. The remaining children went to other health providers. 26% of mothers claimed they had forgotten that VHWs could treat illnesses. In fact, 75% of those who had forgotten did not clearly understand the role of the VHW. They tended to think that the VHW provided only prevention information. 20% could not afford a VHW, yet they paid much more for other health workers. Another 26% said that the VHW was not available at the time. 5% reported the VHW to be unsupportive. The remaining 21% did not know why they did not take their child to a VHW. When the researcher pushed these mothers, 61% gave personal animosity as a reason and 39% did not want to talk about it. In conclusion, the VHWs did not receive adequate training, had limited range of drugs, were poorly supervised, and often not available.