Evaluation of the Role of Community Health Officers in the Community Health and Family Planning Project in the Kassena Nakana District

Abstract

The success or otherwise of most health related programs in most developing countries are judged using many indicators, among which is the beneficiary communities’ perception of the program. This study examined or probed into the perceptions of the communities with regard to the services rendered by Community Health Officers (CHOs) as front liners in the Community Health and Family Planning (CHFP) project being executed by the Navrongo Health Research Center (NHRC) in the Kassena- Nankana District of Northern Ghana. The subjects of the study were adult males and females who were in three age categories; below thirty years, between thirty-one and forty-nine years and those who were fifty years and above. This was done in order to provide information that would help improve upon CHO services in the treatment cells to project implementers. Qualitative methods i.e. Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews and In-depth Interviews were mainly used to capture information related to the communities’ access to health information, health services, the nature of the referral system, treatment and preventive care, family planning services and general acceptability of the CHO services. The study also used Focus Group Discussions and structured questionnaire to examine the work, social and welfare concerns of the CHOs. Most discussants believed that the CHO services have brought a drastic improvement in their lives and have resulted in the elimination of most childhood killer diseases in the community. Family planning services have also improved lifestyles and they now have healthier mothers and children. However it is their wish that the CHOs spent more time with them in the community, make drugs available to them; put a good referral system in place and provide diversified family planning methods. The CHOs also expressed varying degrees of concerns that militated against their effectiveness. These concerns include their inability to have many basic tools to work with; the deplorable conditions of the Community Health Compounds; non-availability of drugs; marital insecurity and the lack of motivation in terms of letting them attend refresher courses. The conclusions drawn from this study are that communities in the project area recognize the immense contribution CHO services have brought to their lives. But there are certain basic issues that need to be tackled to ensure the desired results of the project. It is recommended that for the program to have its desired impact, the issue of payment for services has to be addressed, more efficient referral system should be put in place, the CHOs need to be given more training and their welfare concerns need to be adequately tackled.