An integrated rural health project in Saradidi, Kenya.

In 1979 a community self help health development programme was initiated in Saradidi, Kenya, as the community's response to its problems. In line with the theoretical considerations made for the implementation of primary health care the community was involved in planning, organization, setting of priorities and objectives, implementation and evaluation of the programme. The Saradidi Health Development Project (SHDP) was initiated by people from the area with material assistance from within and outside Saradidi. Nearly 10 years since the beginning of the project, the SHDP still runs more or less on its own providing experiences for other projects and initiators.

Simplifying the evaluation of primary health care programmes.

Currently, there is considerable attention for health impact--as measured by mortality, morbidity or nutrition indicators, in the evaluation of primary health care (PHC) programmes. In most cases, health impact evaluations tend to be dominated by methodological discussions on data collection, analysis and interpretation, which are not relevant to the majority of PHC programmes. In this paper a theoretical framework of variables, affecting child survival, is presented. The key to this action-oriented framework is the identification of a set of intermediate variables which directly affect the health status of children, but can be influenced by PHC interventions as well. It is recommended that evaluations of PHC programmes should focus on these intermediate variables and be less concerned with health impact of the interventions.

Usage of community-based chloroquine treatment for malaria in Saradidi, Kenya.

A survey was done in June 1983 in Saradidi, Kenya, one year after the inception of a community-based malaria control programme to determine if people were obtaining malaria treatment from volunteer village health helpers (VHH's) chosen by the community. Ten of 36 villages were randomly chosen. From these ten villages, 100 households were randomly selected and 222 people ten years of age or more were interviewed; 113 (50.9%) had a history of malaria in the previous two weeks and 82 (72.6% of 113) had taken medicine for malaria in that period. Of these 82, 51.2% obtained drug from the VHH, 28% purchased it from a shop, 12.2% from a health facility, 4.9% from family members and 3.7% from a private practitioner or a shop outside Saradidi. Reasons given for not obtaining treatment from the VHH's among the 40 people who went elsewhere for treatment included: the VHH was not at home when needed (35%); the VHH had no drugs (22.5%); the patient was too sick for the VHH to treat (10%); had drugs already in the home (10%); 'not registered' with VHH (10%); VHH 'no good' (7.5%); and more 'convenient' to go elsewhere (5%). Similar results found on questioning the mother were obtained for 103 children under nine years old in these households; 67 (65.0%) children had a history of malaria in the previous two weeks and 59 (88.1%) of these 67 children had received antimalarial treatment. The VHH was the principal source of treatment (50.8% of 59), followed by health facilities (20.3%) and shops (18.6%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Community-based distribution of family planning services in Saradidi, Kenya.

Community-based distribution (CBD) of family planning services was initiated in 1980 in Saradidi, Kenya, as part of a community development effort. Family planning information and services in each village were provided by volunteer health helpers (VHH's) chosen and supported by the people in each village. The initial examination and supply of commodities was provided at a community clinic. Less than 1% of women 15 to 49 years of age used a family planning method before CBD was initiated. In 1983, 31 (17.3%) of 179 randomly selected currently married women and 26 (52.0%) of 50 currently married VHH's reported having used a family planning method; 38 (66.7%) were still using a method at the time of the survey. Family planning use increased with age and education. Women who used family planning had higher parity, were less likely to want more children and had had a longer time since the last delivery. From 1980 to 1983, 732 persons (including 121 men) were seen at the Saradidi clinic requesting family planning services; 17.2% were referred from the VHH's. About one-third of clients referred from VHH's to the clinic for examination and commodities actually came. Allowing VHH's to carry out the initial examination and provide the first supply of commodities to the acceptors might have significantly increased the rate of family planning use. The findings demonstrate an increased use of family planning services in Saradidi following the inception of CBD.

The Saradidi, Kenya, rural health development programme: retrospective demographic analysis.

A census was done in Saradidi, Kenya from 1980 to 1982 as part of a community-based health development programme. The population was 42,755 (excluding 39 persons of unknown age or sex); 17.1% were less than five years old, 46.9% were below age 15, 4.7% were age 65 years or older and 19.7% were women in the reproductive years (age 15 to 44 years). The sex ratio was 86 males per 100 females due principally to migration of adult males for work. The mean number of persons per household was 4.0 and the mean village population was 764. The singulate mean age of marriage for men was 27.0 years and for women 19.9 years; 0.8% of adult men had never married. Only 0.1% of women by age 50 had never been married. Men were significantly more likely than women to be married to more than one spouse, divorce and separation was higher among men, and by age 50 about one-third of women were widows. Men had more years of formal education than women and young people of both sexes more than older people; 73.1% of men and 96.1% of women 60 years and more had never attended school. Infant mortality rates estimated indirectly ranged between 139 and 155 by area. A strong association was found between increasing education of the mother and decreased reported mortality of children. The total fertility of 6.2 was high but lower than the national average possibly because of the high rates of polygamy and primary infertility and the long periods of amenorrhoea and breast feeding which occurred after delivery. This area continues to have one of the highest levels of infant and child mortality in Kenya as well as relatively high fertility and a population with a very young age structure. This implies a continued very rapid rate of population growth which will make more difficult in the future the problems of delivering effective health services and overcoming poverty. A vigorous programme directed toward improving health is indicated which must include family planning.

Impact on mortality and fertility of a community-based malaria control programme in Saradidi, Kenya.

Mortality and fertility rates were measured from 1981 to 1983 by prospective registration of vital events as part of a community-based malaria control and health development programme in Saradidi, Kenya. There was no obvious effect of providing chloroquine phosphate for treatment of malaria in each village on mortality or fertility rates. Crude death rates were 13.1 in the year before intervention (1 May 1981 to 30 April 1982) and 12.3 after intervention (1 September 1982 to 31 August 1983). Neonatal mortality increased from 36.8 per 1000 live births pre-intervention to 49.1 during intervention. There was a slight decline in post-neonatal (one to 12 months) mortality (72.8 to 67.0) and a significant drop in early childhood mortality (25.2 to 18.2). The change in mortality rates in these two age groups were fully explained by a high rate of measles mortality in the pre-intervention period. Measles accounted for 35.7% of 284 reported deaths in infants one to 12 months of age and for 40.9% of 230 deaths in children one to four years old. There was little change in reported malaria-specific mortality rates in infants and young children most likely because of a high level of chloroquine use for treatment of presumptive illness. Perinatal mortality by area ranged between 60.4 and 81.3 pre-intervention to 79.5 to 97.2 after the control programme was instituted. Crude birth rates by area remained stable at about 40 and general fertility rates were about 200. Both pre-intervention and during intervention infants were significantly more likely to have died without medical consultation than children one to four years. However, 79.2% of 284 infants and 90.7% of 193 children died in spite of having consulted a health worker prior to death. The data suggest that a measles vaccine programme would significantly reduce mortality rates in infants and young children. The fact that the majority of infants and young children died in spite of receiving medical attention indicates both the inadequacy of curative medical services in this high mortality setting as well as the necessity for promoting preventive health measures.

Community leadership and participation in the Saradidi, Kenya, rural health development programme.

Community participation and leadership in initiating and implementing a health development programme in Saradidi, Kenya were examined. Organization of the area into villages had to be sensitive to existing community organizational structures such as geography, religion, kinship and administrative boundaries. The lowest level government leaders did not always have the support of the community. Some groups such as women and those who were not wealthy were not always included in leadership positions; these people, however, were often most aware of certain village problems. In Saradidi, women's groups were important for community development; they supported the volunteer community health workers and carried out many village health activities. Many village health committees did not function effectively. Village health workers were supported principally by the programme centre. Village income-generating activities were not very successful. Group involvement in income raising ventures proved to be inefficient; many ended up as income draining activities. Village group income projects must be well selected relative to the skills and resources available and the ability of the product to be marketed; only exceptional ones should be encouraged. Those based at the programme's centre were more successful perhaps because of a greater investment in skills, money and marketing. Age was an important factor in accepted leadership roles in Saradidi; most effective leaders were more than 45 years of age. Village health helpers volunteered a significant proportion of their time despite poor support by village health committees and no financial remuneration. The central project structure and the training they received compensated for the lack of guidance by village health committees.

Characteristics and functions of community health workers in Saradidi, Kenya.

A community-based health development programme in Saradidi, Kenya had 126 village health helpers (VHH's) for the 56 villages. These volunteer health workers lived in the community and served a total population of about 43,000 in an area of 225 km2. Each VHH served a maximum of 100 households averaging 4.0 persons. Conditions imposed by the community were that the VHH be perceived to be a mature person, to be compassionate and to have a desire to help people and to live in the village. Literacy or formal education were not requirements. VHH's were chosen and supported by the people who lived in their village. Characteristics of the 126 VHH's were that 96.8% were women, 99.2% were married, 75.4% were between 25 and 39 years of age, and 80.2% had at least five years of formal education (only 7.1% had none). The VHH's spent an average five to ten days each month on programme activities in addition to their other responsibilities which included preparing meals, cleaning their homes, carrying water and firewood from long distances, caring for their children and cultivating food for their family. Each VHH visited about 15 households per month, spending one to two hours on a visit. Problems experienced by a random sample of 36 VHH's included difficulties due to lack of transport, lack of medicines, slowness of the community to accept new ideas, distance from project clinic, lack of food in the village, weak village health committees, and no payment for services. The main support for the VHH's came from village women individually, women's groups, and the central programme committee. Village Health Committees did not provide effective support. Nevertheless, in four years only four of the 126 VHH's dropped out of the programme. The main reasons that 36 VHH's reported for continuing to volunteer were as follows: the continuous training they were given was beneficial (mentioned by all); they agreed to serve the villages and did not want to go back on their word (36.1%); they liked the work (19.4%); they felt they have an impact on the health of people in the village (16.7%); the allowances they sometimes receive (22.2%); and personal development (13.9%). The characteristics and responsibilities of community health workers in Saradidi were similar to those elsewhere. The ingredients for a successful volunteer programme such as this one are present in many areas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Malaria chemoprophylaxis to pregnant women provided by community health workers in Saradidi, Kenya. I. Reasons for non-acceptance.

Chloroquine prophylaxis for malaria was available free of charge to pregnant women in Saradidi, Kenya. The drug was supplied by village health helpers (VHH's). However, only 29.1% of 357 pregnant women seen in antenatal clinics from 1983 to 1984 were on chemoprophylaxis. One hundred and seven pregnant women not using antimalarial chemoprophylaxis from 22 villages were interviewed in June 1984 to determine the reasons. Age (mean 26.9 years), parity (mean 4.5 children), occupation (96.3% subsistence farmers and housewives) and education (median five to seven years) of the 107 respondents were similar to other women in the area. Previous pregnancies had occurred in 92 women; for 15 this was the first pregnancy. The last pregnancy had resulted in a live birth for 81 (88.0%), a stillbirth for nine (9.8%) and a miscarriage for two (2.2%); 21 (22.8%) of the 92 had experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth at some time (15 once, five twice and one woman four times). Malaria was the most frequent mentioned (28.6% of 21 women) cause of the last stillbirth or abortion. The major reason for not taking chemoprophylaxis was lack of awareness that the service was available (53.3% of 107 women). Other reasons were fear of chloroquine-induced itching (10.3%), the VHH had no drug (8.4%), the VHH had not advised her to take drug (8.4%), the woman was 'not sick' (7.5%), the woman was 'lazy' (6.5%), she had not been advised by clinic so was afraid to mix medicines (3.7%) and chloroquine was 'bad for pregnancy' (1.9%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Malaria chemoprophylaxis to pregnant women provided by community health workers in Saradidi, Kenya. II. Effect on parasitaemia and haemoglobin levels.

To determine the effects of chloroquine phosphate (300 mg base weekly) chemoprophylaxis for malaria provided by volunteer village health helpers (VHH's), pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Saradidi, Kenya, were examined each month. Parasitaemia, haemoglobin level, and the presence of urinary 4-aminoquinolines were determined at each visit. The age composition and parity of women taking chemoprophylaxis were not statistically significantly different from those of the other women. A total of 104 (29.1%) of 357 pregnant women from 23 villages where chemprophylaxis was provided by VHH's said they were taking it. Women 30 to 44 years of age (43.9%) of 82) were more often taking prophylaxis than those younger (25.1% of 271) (P less than 0.0005). An additional 573 pregnant women to whom regular chemoprophylaxis was not provided from 33 control villages were also examined at least once. When compared with those from women not taking prophylaxis, blood samples from pregnant women on antimalarial prophylaxis had lower parasite rates (17.7% of 265 compared with 26.2% of 1700, P less than 0.005), higher haemoglobin levels (59.1% of 127 were greater than or equal to 10.0 g l-1 compared with 49.7% of 1111, P less than 0.05), and a higher mean haemoglobin level (9.95 g dl-1 compared with 9.62, P = 0.019) and urine samples were more often positive for 4-aminoquinolines (15.7% of 255 compared with 8.3% of 1656, P less than 0.0005). For women with two or more parasitologic samples, 69.6% of 79 pregnant women on prophylaxis had no parasites found on any visit compared with 51.6% of 516 women not on chemoprophylaxis (P less than 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)