TITLE:
Assessing Community Health Interventions in Reducing Infant and Child Mortality in the Southeastern Benin
AUTHORS:
Charles Sossa Jerome, Daouda Gbadamassi, Lamidhi Salami, Colette Azandjeme, Clémence Metonnou, Moussiliou N. Paraiso
KEYWORDS:
Community-Based Interventions, Infant and Child Mortality, Benin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Preventive Medicine,
Vol.14 No.1,
January
30,
2024
ABSTRACT: Background: To reduce infant and child mortality in Benin, a package of high-impact interventions per healthcare level was implemented in 2009. This study aimed to assess the quality of community-based health interventions in reducing infant and child mortality within the municipality of Pobè in southeastern Benin. Methods: This was a cross-sectional evaluative study carried out in November 2021 focused on children aged 0 - 59 months, their mothers, health workers, community facilitators, community health workers and the Town Hall health focal point. Mothers and their children were targeted by cluster sampling, and exhaustive selection was used to recruit all other participants. Predetermined scores based on rating criteria were used to assess the quality of community health interventions using the “input, process and outcome” of Donabedian approach. Results: Over 300 mother-child couples, 46 community health workers, 7 health agents, 1 community facilitator and 1 health focal point from Pobè town hall were surveyed. Intervention quality was judged as “average”, with a score of 73.80%. The “inputs” and “outcomes” components were the weakest links. Conclusion: Improving access to the inputs needed by community health workers can enhance the quality of PIHI interventions.