Coverage of vitamin A supplementation and deworming during Malezi Bora in Kenya

Abstract

Twice-yearly child health weeks are an effective way of reaching children with essential child survival services in developing countries. In Kenya, child health weeks, or Malezi Bora, were restructured in 2007 from an outreach-based delivery structure to a health facility-based delivery structure to reduce delivery costs and increase sustainability of the events. Administrative data from 2007 to 2011 have demonstrated a decrease in coverage of Malezi Bora services to targeted children. A post-event coverage (PEC) survey was conducted after the May 2012 Malezi Bora to validate coverage of vitamin A supplementation (VAS) and deworming and to inform program strategy. Nine hundred caregivers with children aged 6-59months were interviewed using a randomized, 30×30 cluster design. For each cluster, one facility-based health worker and one community-based health worker were also interviewed. Coverage of VAS was 31.0% among children aged 6-59months and coverage of deworming was 19.6% among children aged 12-59months. Coverage of VAS was significantly higher for children aged 6-11months (45.7%, n=116) than for children aged 12-59months (28.8%, n=772) (p<0.01). Eighty-five percent (51/60) of health workers reported that Malezi Bora was implemented in their area while 23.6% of primary caregivers reported that Malezi Bora occurred in their area. The results of this PEC survey indicate that the existing Malezi Bora programmatic structure needs to be reviewed and reformed to meet WHO guidelines of 80% coverage with VAS.

Sub national variation and inequalities in under-five mortality in Kenya since 1965

“…Since 2013, all services at government outpatient facilities and maternity services have been offered free of charge [22]. In addition, there has been renewed interests in expanding primary healthcare services as close to homesteads as possible through the Malezi Bora (good upbringing) initiative [28], the Beyond Zero [29] initiative and the universal health systems initiative focusing on RMNCH services among the underserved population [30].…”

Planning an integrated agriculture and health program and designing its evaluation: Experience from Western Kenya

“…Similar to neighbouring Nyanza province, an estimated 23% of children aged 6–59 months were Vitamin A deficient in 2008 ( Ruth et al, 2010 ). Coverage of Western province with Vitamin A supplementation to mothers and infants through the health system had generally been low − at approximately 15% to 40% depending on source ( Clohossey et al, 2014 ), far less than the World Health Organization’s recommended 80% minimum coverage. 2…”

Prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiases among pre-school age children (12-59 months) and WASH condition in Mkuranga, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

“…In Tanzania more than 65% of the children (both PSAC and SAC) harbour STH infections (8), however, national efforts for control have hitherto been concentrated on SAC (9) excluding the PSAC who are among persons at risk of infection. Though PC for PSAC using Mebendazole have been going on during vitamin A and deworming campaign and routine child growth monitoring in the RCH clinics since 2004 (10,11), this strategy has not been optimal because such visits are rare for older children > 12 months (12)(13)(14) implying that a portion of PSAC do not actually receive treatment and remain at risk of STH infections. According to national reports the proportion of PSAC that received PC in the year 2014, 2015 and 2018 were only 70%, 38% and 50% respectively (11,15,16).…”