Jennifer L Brenner|Jerome Kabakyenga|Teddy Kyomuhangi|K. A. Wotton|Carolyn Pim|Moses Ntaro|Fred Bagenda|Ndaruhutse Ruzazaaza Gad|John C. Godel|James Kayizzi|Douglas McMillan|Edgar Mulogo|Alberto Nettel?Aguirre|Nalini Singhal
Can Volunteer Community Health Workers Decrease Child Morbidity and Mortality in Southwestern Uganda? An Impact Evaluation
University of Calgary|Mbarara University of Science and Technology|Mbarara University of Science and Technology|Mbarara University of Science and Technology|University of Calgary|Mbarara University of Science and Technology|Mbarara University of Science and Technology|Mbarara University of Science and Technology|University of Alberta|Dalhousie University|Mbarara University of Science and Technology|University of Calgary|University of Calgary
potential community health workers improve child health subsaharan africa well understood healthy child uganda implemented volunteer community health worker child health promotion model rural uganda impact evaluation conducted assess volunteer community health workers effect child morbidity mortality calculate volunteer retentiontwo volunteer community health workers selected trained promoted child health 116 villages population 61000 20062009 evaluation included household survey mothers baseline postintervention interventioncontrol areas retrospective reviews community health worker birthchild death reports postintervention focus group discussions retention calculated administrative records main outcomes prevalence recent child illnessunderweight status community health worker reports child deaths focus group perception effect community health worker retention 1836 months 86 trained volunteers remained active postintervention surveys intervention households revealed absolute reductions 102 95ci 177 26 diarrhea prevalence 58 95ci 115 0003 fevermalaria comparative decreases control households statistically significant underweight prevalence reduced 51 95ci 107 04 intervention households community health worker monthly reports revealed relative decline 53 child deaths 5 years old first 18 months intervention focus groups credited community health workers decreasing child deaths improved careseeking practices new incomegenerating opportunitiesa lowcost child health promotion model using volunteer community health workers demonstrated decreased child morbidity dramatic mortality trend declines high volunteer retention sustainable model could scaledup subsaharan african communities limited resources high child health needs