Abstract
BackgroundIn Ethiopia, children and mothers have been facing several health problems due to poor access to modern health care facilities and lack of effective demand to utilize the available ones. In response to this, the Ethiopian government initiated the health extension program in 2003 to improve equity in access to preventive, promotive and selected curative health interventions through health extension program. However, the level of health extension service utilization is not known. Therefore, this study presents the level of health extension service utilization and associated factors.MethodsA community based cross sectional study was carried out from February to March 2012. Data was collected through face-to-face interview by using pretested structured questionnaires adopted from review of different related literatures and entered in to EPI Info version 3.5.1. Bivariate analysis between dependent and independent variables was performed. Multivariate analysis was also done to control for possible confounding variable by selecting variable which show statistically significant association (P < 0.2) in bivariate analyses to identify independent predictor factors.ResultsThe proportion of community utilization of health extension service was 39%. Age (AOR = 2.52; 95% CI = 1.53-4.15), occupation (AOR = 3.79; 95% CI = 1.64-12.5), knowledge of community on health extension service (AOR = 0.25; 95% CI = 0.18-0.36), community participation in planning of health extension activities (AOR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.15-0.33) and graduation of model family (AOR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.47-0.76) have statistically significant association with community health extension services utilization.ConclusionsThe proportion of community utilization of health extension service was low. Age, occupation, knowledge of community on health extension service, community participation in planning of health extension activities and graduation of model family were identified as the independent factors affecting the community’s utilization of health extension services.
Highlights
In Ethiopia, children and mothers have been facing several health problems due to poor access to modern health care facilities and lack of effective demand to utilize the available ones
The Health Extension Program (HEP) is an innovative community level component of the Essential Health Services Package (EHSP) of the country that was initially started as pilot program during the second Health Sector Development Plan (HSDP) (2002/03-2004/05) in 50, 17, 24 and 3 ‘kebeles’ of Tegray, Oromia, Amhara, SNNP (Southern Nation Nationality and people) and Dire Dawa regional state, respectively
The result of this study shows that the proportion of community utilization of health extension service was 39%
Summary
In Ethiopia, children and mothers have been facing several health problems due to poor access to modern health care facilities and lack of effective demand to utilize the available ones. The review of the first HSDP performance (1997/98- 2001/02) indicated the challenges of achieving universal coverage of Primary Health Care (PHC) It revealed that the necessary basic health services have not reached to the people at the grass roots level as predicted and desired [1]. The Ethiopian government initiated the Health Extension Program in 2003 as part of the HSDP to improve equitable access to health service, preventive, promotion and selected curative health interventions through health extension workers [2]. Technical and Vocational Training centers (TVETC) are being used to train health extension workers all over the country [3] This can facilitate the achievement of health related millennium development goals in particular and other Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in general [4]
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