Factors Influencing Sustainability of Community-Based Health Volunteers Activities in the Kassena-Nankana East and West Districts of Northern Ghana

Abstract

An increasing demand for health care services and getting health care closer to doorsteps of communities coupled with the shortage of professional health care providers has made health service managers resort to seeking greater collaboration with communities and the use of non-professional health workers to provide health care services to people in communities. Community volunteerism in Ghana has therefore, been identified as an effective strategy in the implementation of Primary Health Care (PHC) activities. The challenge however, is how to sustain volunteer activities. This study therefore, aims at exploring the factors influencing sustainability of health volunteer activities in the Kassena-Nankana East (KNE) and West (KNW) districts in the Upper East Region of Ghana. A cross-sectional survey design and qualitative research methods were used to gather primary data. A total of 200 structured interviews were conducted with volunteers and 14 in-depth interviews were conducted with health volunteers and health staff involved in volunteer activities in the two districts. The data was analyzed using STATA Version 11.2©. Bivariate and multivariate regression analysis was done to determine factors affecting performance and retention of health volunteers. The overall assessment of performance of volunteers showed that 45% of them scored high on performance. About 85.5% of volunteers reported means of transport as the main factor affecting their performance. Also 80.5% reported motivation or incentives such as raincoats, torch lights and wellington boots as retention mechanisms used to retain and sustain volunteer activities. Ninety-seven percent of volunteers reported that the desire to help community members and sick people at the community level attracted them to work as health volunteers. Eighty-six percent of volunteers were involved in health education while 67.5% carried out immunization activities. Providing basic means of transportation and non monetary motivation of raincoats torch lights and wellington boots will motivate volunteers to perform better, sustain their activities at the community level and sustain the primary health care vision.