Knowledge and Practices of Female Traditional Healthcare Givers to Mothers on Referral System for Care and Immunization against Childhood Killer Diseases in Hard-to-Reach Areas of Adamawa State - Nigeria

Abstract

Female Traditional Healthcare Givers’ (FTHGs) knowledge, attitude, and practice on maternal and infant survival from pregnancy, delivery, and after birth has been a contextual matter throughout the globe, especially where the incidence of infant mortality rate is high. This often poses questions as to why, what happened, and where women of childbearing go for health seeking when pregnant, at birth, and after delivery? The impact of FTHGs activities to mothers and infants on their education and referral of mothers and children for treatment and immunization was studied in the three Senatorial Districts of Adamawa State. Self-structured questionnaires with both open and closed-ended responses and oral interviews were used for the purpose of the study and analyzed electronically on SPSS version 25.0. Approaches to improve the knowledge and practice of Female Traditional Healthcare Givers include seminars and workshops by Non-Governmental Organizations’, Antenatal Care at government health facilities, and health professionals’ effort in-home visits and formal education. These have improved FTHGs knowledge, skills, and acceptance of immunization programme against childhood killer diseases in most of the Senatorial District communities. Maternal and infant morbidity and mortality has experienced a great reduction in the process as FTHGs made referrals to health facilities on cases needing treatment and immunization. This underlies the need for training in epidemiological findings to prevent the incidence of infant morbidity and mortality since education is the key to a healthy live. Keywords: Childhood killer diseases, Epidemiological, Female Traditional Health care Givers, Healthcare, Immunization, Infant morbidity, Mortality, and Referral.