The contribution of community health workers to the control of Buruli ulcer in the Ngoantet area, Cameroon

Vouking, Marius Zambou; Takougang, Innocent; Mbam, Léonard Mbam; Mbuagbaw, Lawrence; Tadenfok, Carine Nouboudem; Tamo, Claire Violette

doi:10.11604/pamj.2013.16.63.1407

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…It is the same for the reference case by CHWs with 73.1% in Bénin and 84.2% in Togo. This rate of 95% reported by the study conducted by Vouking et al in Cameroon in 2013 is higher than those found in our study [25]. This difference is explained by the activities in question.…”

Section: The Role Of Community Health Agentscontrasting

confidence: 72%

“…This may also explain the acquisition of knowledge to an acceptable level of household heads. Vouking et al also reached in an evaluation of the participation of community health workers in the early diagnosis and treatment of Buruli ulcer Ngoantet, Cameroonin 2013 to demonstrate the role played by the CHWs through home visits [25]. This observation was also made by Pati et al in an intervention where community health workers through home visits were successful in increasing infants' immunization rates [26].…”

Section: The Role Of Community Health Agentsmentioning

confidence: 89%

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Community Health Workers' Role in Solving Health Problems at the Community Level in Bénin and Togo

Adom¹,

Makoutode²,

Ouendo³

et al. 2016

ujph

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The resolution of health problems at the community level requires firm political will on the part of governments and the effective participation of communities in co-management programs and health activities. The objective of this work is to study the role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in solving health problems at the community level in Bénin and Togo, from 2009 to 2015. This is an evaluative study of the quasi-experimental type, with its variant "here elsewhere"; it was conducted in six health zones in Bénin and five health districts in Togo, ail randomly chosen from the list of districts and zones within the regions or departmental directions covered. The study involved 385 community health workers and 6150 heads of households. Female heads of households were predominant. The community health workers were predominantly male and their level of education was secondary school and up. Only level of education, marital status and the matrimonial régime of heads of households were not significantly correlated to their level of knowledge in both Bénin and Togo (p>5%). The heads of households had an acceptable knowledge of community health workers and their activities, but the subsequently expected favorable behavior towards health remained low. Thus, the role of CHWs in solving health problems was perceived as weak. For a visible impact of the actions of this new class of agents at the community level, a strong political will is needed from the countries in the implementation of World Health Organisation's recommendations on community health.

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Section: The Role Of Community Health Agentscontrasting

confidence: 72%

Section: The Role Of Community Health Agentsmentioning

confidence: 89%

Community Health Workers' Role in Solving Health Problems at the Community Level in Bénin and Togo

Adom¹,

Makoutode²,

Ouendo³

et al. 2016

ujph

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“…This is the first study addressing the role of community health volunteers in the control of BU in Benin. Few studies address the role of CHW in BU detection worldwide [18] , [27] .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our results confirm the impact of community health volunteers on the control of BU. The use of community health workers for BU control in countries other than Benin has been suggested [27] and also discussed in a review based on sparsely available data on their performance and training [18] .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of the Community Health Volunteers in the Control of Buruli Ulcer in Bénin

et al. 2014

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BackgroundBuruli ulcer (BU) is a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Usually BU begins as a painless nodule, plaque or edema, ultimately developing into an ulcer. The high number of patients presenting with ulcers in an advanced stage is striking. Such late presentation will complicate treatment and have long-term disabilities as a consequence. The disease is mainly endemic in West Africa. The primary strategy for control of this disease is early detection using community village volunteers.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn this retrospective, observational study, information regarding Buruli ulcer patients that reported to one of the four BU centers in Bénin between January 2008 and December 2010 was collected using the WHO/BU01 forms. Information used from these forms included general characteristics of the patient, the results of diagnostic tests, the presence of functional limitations at start of treatment, lesion size, patient delay and the referral system. The role of the different referral systems on the stage of disease at presentation in the hospital was analyzed by a logistic regression analysis. About a quarter of the patients (26.5%) were referred to the hospital by the community health volunteers. In our data set, patients referred to the hospital by community health volunteers appeared to be in an earlier stage of disease than patients referred by other methods, but after adjustment by the regression analysis for the health center, this effect could no longer be seen. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for IS2404 positivity rate among patients referred by the community health volunteers was not systematically lower than in patients referred by other systems.Conclusions/SignificanceThis study clarifies the role played by community health volunteers in Bénin, and shows that they play an important role in the control of BU.

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“…9 Early detection of cases seems to be of vital importance and could, together with standardized drug treatment, drastically reduce the need for hospitalization and surgery. There are indications that community-based surveillance volunteers (CBSVs) can be effective in the early referral of BU cases, 11 but solid evidence is lacking. 12 Here, we report on the early detection activities of the BU Clinic in Agogo in the Ashanti region of Ghana, where recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of BU have been implemented and combined with rigorous public health efforts aimed at early detection and decentralized care.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Buruli Ulcer Control in a Highly Endemic District in Ghana: Role of Community-Based Surveillance Volunteers

Abass

Werf²,

Phillips³

et al. 2015

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Abstract. Buruli ulcer (BU) is an infectious skin disease that occurs mainly in West and Central Africa. It can lead to severe disability and stigma because of scarring and contractures. Effective treatment with antibiotics is available, but patients often report to the hospital too late to prevent surgery and the disabling consequences of the disease. In a highly endemic district in Ghana, intensified public health efforts, mainly revolving around training and motivating communitybased surveillance volunteers (CBSVs), were implemented. As a result, 70% of cases were reported in the earliest-World Health Organization category I-stage of the disease, potentially minimizing the need for surgery. CBSVs referred more cases in total and more cases in the early stages of the disease than any other source. CBSVs are an important resource in the early detection of BU.

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The contribution of community health workers to the control of Buruli ulcer in the Ngoantet area, Cameroon

Cited by 16 publications

References 16 publications

Community Health Workers' Role in Solving Health Problems at the Community Level in Bénin and Togo

Community Health Workers' Role in Solving Health Problems at the Community Level in Bénin and Togo

Contribution of the Community Health Volunteers in the Control of Buruli Ulcer in Bénin

Buruli Ulcer Control in a Highly Endemic District in Ghana: Role of Community-Based Surveillance Volunteers

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