Ward Health System in Nigeria: Are Health Workers in the Local Government Areas Well Informed?

Abstract

The Ward Health System was introduced in 2001 by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to enhance community mobilization for health thereby revitalizing the Primary Health Care system. This move was in alignment with the recommendation of the World Health Organization in 1992 that boundaries of the health district should be the same as that of the electoral ward for effective and wholesome community mobilization and ultimately ownership. This study determined the knowledge of the health workers in the Local Government Areas on Ward Health System. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to a total of 300 Primary Health Care facility workers in Anambra State. Approximately 46% of the health workers had ever heard of the term Ward Health System, while over 94% had no idea of the roles of the three tiers of government in the program. Over 76% of them could not correctly identify the functions of the village and ward development committees. Adequate and on-going education of health workers on Ward Health System is critically needed.