The role of traditional treatment on health care seeking by caregivers for sick children in Sierra Leone: Results of a baseline survey

Bakshi, Salina; McMahon, Shannon A.; George, Asha; Yumkella, F; Bangura, Peter; Kabano, Augustin; Diaz, Theresa

doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.03.010

Cited by 32 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Studies in other African countries also found that mothers preferred to treat malaria with biomedical care [27]. Only a few mothers mentioned diarrhea specifically as a case that they would seek biomedical care as a first option, suggesting diarrhea is largely treated by mothers with plants as was found in a recent study in Sierra Leone [28]. Likewise, respiratory ailments were not specifically mentioned as a case for seeking biomedical care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Traditional Medicine and Childcare in Western Africa: Mothers’ Knowledge, Folk Illnesses, and Patterns of Healthcare-Seeking Behavior

Towns

Eyi²,

Andel

2014

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundIn spite of the strong role of traditional medicine in childcare in the pluralistic healthcare system in Western Africa, little information is known on mothers’ domestic plant knowledge. Identifying local perspectives and treatments of children’s illnesses, including folk illnesses, is essential to having a comprehensive understanding of how mothers make healthcare treatment decisions. We aimed to identify which infant illnesses Beninese and Gabonese mothers knew to treat with medicinal plants and for which illnesses they sought biomedical care or traditional healers.MethodsWe conducted 81 questionnaires with mothers in Bénin and Gabon and made 800 botanical specimens of cited medicinal plants. We calculated the number of species cited per illness and the proportion of participants knowledgeable on at least one herbal remedy per illness. Using qualitative data, we described folk illnesses in each country and summarized responses on preferences for each of the three healthcare options.ResultsParticipants from both countries were most knowledgeable on plants to treat respiratory illnesses, malaria, diarrhea, and intestinal ailments. Mothers also frequently mentioned the use of plants to encourage children to walk early, monitor the closure of fontanels, and apply herbal enemas. Major folk illnesses were atita and ka in Bénin and la rate and fesses rouges in Gabon. Traditional healers were reported to have specialized knowledge of cultural bound illnesses. Malaria was frequently cited as an illness for which mothers would directly seek biomedical treatment.ConclusionMothers largely saw the three systems as complementary, seamlessly switching between different healing options until a remedy was found. Folk illnesses were found to give insight into local treatments and may reveal important neglected diseases. Due to high reported levels of knowledge on treating top statistical causes of infant mortality and folk illnesses, mothers’ medicinal plant knowledge should be included in the analysis of healthcare-seeking behavior for childcare.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Future research can take demographic and socio-economic data into account to further the understanding of preferences for childcare treatment [28]. Additionally, our research did not explore mothers’ attitudes towards the quality of the different healthcare options.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional Medicine and Childcare in Western Africa: Mothers’ Knowledge, Folk Illnesses, and Patterns of Healthcare-Seeking Behavior

Towns

Eyi²,

Andel

2014

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The algorithms and forms were developed in Sierra Leone for illiterate CHVs and had previously been used successfully in another district (Bakshi et al . ; Diaz et al . ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Questionnaires were written in English and translated by interviewers into local languages preferred by the respondents, using standardised, pre‐tested key words and/or information obtained on terminology from the baseline qualitative study (Bakshi et al . ; Diaz et al . ; Scott et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of community health volunteers on care seeking and treatment coverage for common childhood illnesses in the context of free health care in rural Sierra Leone

Yansaneh

Moulton

George

et al. 2014

Tropical Med Int Health

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstractobjective To examine whether community health volunteers induced significant changes in care seeking and treatment of ill children under five 2 years after their deployment in two underserved districts of Sierra Leone.methods A pre-test-post-test study with intervention and comparison groups was used. A household cluster survey was conducted among caregivers of 5643 children at baseline and of 5259 children at endline.results In the intervention districts, treatments provided by community health volunteers increased from 0 to 14.3% for all three conditions combined (P < 0.001). Care seeking from an appropriate provider was not statistically significant (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 0.88-2.54) between intervention and comparison districts and coverage of appropriate treatment increased in both study groups for all three illnesses. However, the presence of community health volunteers was associated with a 105% increase in appropriate treatment for pneumonia (OR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.22-3.42) and a 55% drop in traditional treatment for diarrhoea (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.21-0.96). Community health volunteers were also associated with fewer facility treatments for malaria (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.07-0.62).conclusion After implementing free care, coverage for treatment for all three illnesses in both study groups improved. Deployment of community health volunteers was associated with a reduced treatment burden at facilities and less reliance on traditional treatments.keywords community health workers/volunteers, community case management, health care seeking

show abstract

“…Although rates of skilled, facility-based births have increased in Sierra Leone since the inception of FHCI, more than one-third of births are still attended by TBAs outside of health facilities [6]. In addition, many children still do not receive recommended treatment for common childhood illnesses and some are given traditional treatment instead of seeking clinical care [12,13]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer-driven quality improvement among health workers and traditional birth attendants in Sierra Leone: linkages between providers’ organizational skills and relationships

Higgins-Steele

Waller

Fotso

et al. 2015

BMC Health Serv Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundSierra Leone has among the poorest maternal and child health indicators in the world and investments in public health have been predominately to increase demand for services, with fewer initiatives targeting supply side factors that influence health workers’ work environment. This paper uses data from the Quality Circles project in a rural district of Sierra Leone to achieve three objectives. First, we examine the effect of the intervention on organizational skills and relationships among coworkers as well as between health workers and traditional birth attendants. Second, we examine whether changes in organizational skills are associated with changes in relationships among and between formal and informal health providers and between health providers and clients. Third, we aim to further understand these changes through the perspectives of health workers and traditional birth attendants.MethodsThe Quality Circles project was implemented in Kailahun District in the Eastern province of Sierra Leone from August 2011 to June 2013, with adjacent Tonkolili District serving as the control site. Using a mixed-methods approach, the evaluation included a quantitative survey, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with health workers and traditional birth attendants. Mean values of the variables of interest were compared across sub-populations, and correlation analyses were performed between changes in organizational skills and changes in relationships.ResultsThe results demonstrate that the Quality Circles intervention had positive effects on organizational skills and relationships. Furthermore, improvements in all organizational skill variables – problem-solving, strategizing and negotiation skills – were strongly associated with a change in the overall relationship variable.ConclusionsThe Quality Circles approach has the potential to support health workers to improve their organizational skills and relationships, which in turn can contribute to improving the interpersonal dimensions of the quality of care in low-resource contexts. This method brings together peers in a structured process for constructive group work and individual skill development, which are important in low-resource contexts where active participation and resourcefulness of health workers can also contribute to better health service delivery.

show abstract

The role of traditional treatment on health care seeking by caregivers for sick children in Sierra Leone: Results of a baseline survey

Cited by 32 publications

References 16 publications

Traditional Medicine and Childcare in Western Africa: Mothers’ Knowledge, Folk Illnesses, and Patterns of Healthcare-Seeking Behavior

Traditional Medicine and Childcare in Western Africa: Mothers’ Knowledge, Folk Illnesses, and Patterns of Healthcare-Seeking Behavior

Influence of community health volunteers on care seeking and treatment coverage for common childhood illnesses in the context of free health care in rural Sierra Leone

Peer-driven quality improvement among health workers and traditional birth attendants in Sierra Leone: linkages between providers’ organizational skills and relationships

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About