Effect of Community Involvement on Infancy Immunization Coverage in Rural Hodeidah, Republic of Yemen | ||||
| Journal of High Institute of Public Health | ||||
| Article 5, Volume 31, Issue 4, October 2001, Page 799-816 | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jhiph.2001.225979 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| Manal R. Koura1; Amal E. Khairy1; Nermein M. Abdel-Aal1; Yahya A. Rajaat2; Mohamed Suhail3 | ||||
| 1Primary Health Care Division, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt | ||||
| 2Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sanaa University | ||||
| 3Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sanaa University, Yemen | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Realizing the importance of community involvement in health development, the Yemeni government encouraged the organization of Local Health Committees [LHCs] in rural health districts; and in 1997 a Community Development Department was established in Hodeidah Health Office in order to coordinate between the different community organizations. Objective: The aim of present work was to study the effect of community involvement [Cl] on infancy immunization coverage in rural areas of Hodeidah governorate, Yemen. Methods: The study was conducted in four rural health districts [HDs], two of them had LHCs and the other two didn't have any local organizational structure for community participation. Primary health care [PHC] centers located in these health districts were also included in the study. Needed data were collected as follows: A checklist was designed to assess the availability of LHC resources. The process of community involvement was assessed by describing the action factors, namely assessment of needs, leadership, organization, resource mobilization and management. These factors were ranked from 1-5 according to their breadth: narrow, restricted, mean, open and wide. Availability of PHC resources for immunization activities was also checked, to determine the extent of community resource mobilization. Moreover, PHC immunization records were retrospectively reviewed to determine the trend in infancy vaccination coverage before and after organization of LHCs. Results: Revealed that breadth of needs assessment and resource mobilization was similar in HDs with and without LHCs, but breadth of leadership, organization and management was wider at HDs with LHCs. HDs with LHCs showed restricted Cl in all action factors, as for needs assessment a dominating professional point of view with some consideration of community interests was observed. As regards leadership, LHCs consisted mainly of high level of officials and health staff and didn't represent all social interest groups. Nevertheless, females, young people and informal community leaders were represented in LHCs. Concerning organization, LHCs were imposed by health services, but developed some activities e.g. participation in polio campaigns. Where community participation was in the form of health volunteers and renting of transportation means for reaching remote areas. As regards resource mobilization, fees for services were imposed, but LHCs had no control over utilization of money collected and communities didn't contribute to support immunization services. Concerning management, community leaders managed independently with some involvement of LHCs. Reviewing of records revealed no difference in infancy immunization coverage before and after organization of LHCs for community involvement. Conclusion: It could be concluded that community participation in Hodeidah is still in its infancy stage, as their participation in immunization activities was only evident during national polio campaigns; and had no effect on infancy immunization coverage. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Community Involvement; Infancy Immunization Coverage; Rural Hodeidah; Republic of Yemen | ||||
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