Feasibility of delivering vitamin A supplementation (VAS) and deworming through routine community health services in Siaya County, Kenya: A cross‐sectional study

Autor: Sophie Ochola, Asa Lelei, Julius Korir, Caleb Ombati, Caroline Chebet, David Doledec, Fridah Mutea, Jennifer Nielsen, Solomon Omariba, Esther Njeri, Melissa M. Baker
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Maternal and Child Nutrition, Vol 20, Iss 2, Pp n/a-n/a (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1740-8709
1740-8695
DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13626
Popis: Abstract Vitamin A deficiency and soil‐transmitted helminth infection are serious public health problems in Kenya. The coverage of vitamin A supplementation and deworming medication (VASD) provided through mass campaigns is generally high, yet with a cost that is not sustainable, while coverage offered through routine health services is low. Alternative strategies are needed that achieve the recommended coverage of >80% of children twice annually and can be managed by health systems with limited resources. We undertook a study from September to December 2021 to compare the feasibility and coverage of VASD locally delivered by community health volunteers (CHV) (“intervention arm”) to that achieved by the bi‐annual Malezi Bora campaign event (“control arm”). This comparative cross‐sectional study was conducted in sub‐counties of Siaya County using both qualitative and quantitative methods. VASD were offered through the CHS in Alego Usonga and through Malezi Bora in Bondo Sub‐County. Coverage was assessed by a post‐event coverage survey among caregivers of children aged 6–59 months (n = 307 intervention; n = 318 control). Key informant interviews were conducted with n = 43 personnel across both modalities, and 10 focus group discussions were conducted with caregivers of children aged 6–59 months to explore knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of the two strategies. VAS coverage by CHV was 90.6% [95% CI: 87.3–93.9] compared to 70.4% [95% CI: 65.4–75.4] through the Malezi Bora, while deworming coverage was 73.9% [95% CI: 69.0–78.7] and 54.7% [95% CI: 49.2–60.2], respectively. With sufficient training and oversight, CHV can achieve superior coverage to campaigns.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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