Challenges And Opportunities of Institutional Delivery Posed By Health Extension Workers Bure, Gojjam

  • Habtamu Wondimu Department of Sociology Wollo University, Wollo, Ethiopia Department of Sociology, Wolkite University, Wolkite, Ethiopia
Keywords: Health Extension Worker, Institutional Delivery, community health promotion

Abstract

Health Extension Program (HEP) in Ethiopia was introduced to provide a quality package of health services at the community level, including better health care to women and children, especially in the most rural and remote communities. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 62 percent of global maternal deaths; Ethiopia's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) estimated 420 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, with a lifetime risk of maternal death one in 52. Accordingly, this study examines the challenges and opportunities of institutional delivery by health extension workers Bure, Gojjam. The researchers employed a Mixed-Method research approach to investigate the Challenges and opportunities of institutional delivery posed by health extension workers. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The study finding disclosed that the community and women's perception were significant challenges of institutional delivery closely connected with informants' traditional beliefs and newly acquired knowledge, low level of education, and less contact of health extension workers and community. However, health extension workers contribute to community health promotion by conducting home visits surveys and maternal health education sessions to advise different places through the family organization. The research finding revealed that the need for health extension workers and other community stakeholders has to be equipped with communication skills, mobilization skills, and commitment to the work. So, continuous training has to be given on competency and communication skills to update and increase health extension workers' knowledge of health promotion in general and maternity services.

References

Central Statistical Agency (CSA). 2013. Population Projection for Ethiopia 2007–2037. Addis Ababa: CSA.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Steps in conducting a scholarly mixed methods study.
Desta, F. A., Shifa, G. T., Dagoye, D. W., Carr, C., Van Roosmalen, J., Stekelenburg, J., ... & Kim, Y. M. (2017). Identifying gaps in the practices of rural health extension workers in Ethiopia: a task analysis study. BMC health services research, 17(1), 1-9.
Gudmundsdottir, S. (1996). The teller, the tale, and the one being told: The narrative nature of the research interview.Curriculum inquiry, 26(3), 293-306.
Holloway, I., & Wheeler, S. (2002). Qualitative research in nursing. Wiley-Blackwell.
Jackson, R., Tesfay, F. H., Godefay, H., & Gebrehiwot, T. G. (2016). Health extension workers' and mothers' attitudes to maternal health service utilization and acceptance in Adwa Woreda, Tigray Region, Ethiopia. PLoS One,11(3), e0150747.
Kidanu, S., Degu, G., & Tiruye, T. Y. (2017). Factors influencing institutional delivery service utilization in Dembecha district, Northwest Ethiopia: a community based cross sectional study. Reproductive health, 14(1), 1-8.
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing. Sage.
Nikiéma, B., Beninguisse, G., & Haggerty, J. L. (2009). Providing information on pregnancy complications during antenatal visits: unmet educational needs in sub-Saharan Africa. Health policy and planning, 24(5), 367-376.
Sebhatu, A. (2008). The implementation of Ethiopia's Health Extension Program: an overview. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Tilahun, H., Fekadu, B., Abdisa, H., Canavan, M., Linnander, E., Bradley, E. H., & Berman, P. (2017). Ethiopia’s health extension workers use of work time on duty: time and motion study. Health policy and planning, 32(3), 320-328.
World Health Organization. (2016). protecting surface water for health: identifying, assessing and managing drinking-water quality risks in surface-water catchments.
World Health Organization. (2019). Global status report on alcohol and health 2018. World Health Organization.
Published
2021-02-04
How to Cite
[1]
Habtamu Wondimu 2021. Challenges And Opportunities of Institutional Delivery Posed By Health Extension Workers Bure, Gojjam. International Journal on Integrated Education. 4, 2 (Feb. 2021), 20-34. DOI:https://doi.org/10.17605/ijie.v4i2.1185.
Section
Articles