Competency Level of Urban Health Extension Workers in Implementing Primary Health Care Services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2016-2017

Abstract

Background: The government of Ethiopia built its health system on the HSEP: which is shifting the burden as well the responsibility of health issues to be handled by HEWs. studies show that in the past decade UHEP isn‟t progressing as its hoped and also competence level of the UHEWs didn‟t receive the attention it requires.so far studies are done from the community side and shows lack in the community satisfaction by the work of HEWs and their competence have received its share of complain as well as a lack of competence studies done on HEWs in general service setting of the PHC and from the HEWs side too. Objective: To assess the competency level of health extension workers in implementing PHC services in Addis Ababa, 2017. Method: A health institution based cross sectional study among 348 UHEWs working in 31 different woredas in the 5 sub-cites of Addis Ababa was conducted from November 2016-June 2017.To determine the sample size of the study prevalence‟s of competence and its associated factors is taken from different studies and is calculated using correction formula. In addition to competence Variables like training, supportive supervision and knowledge transfer are also assessed. The data was collected using a self-administered questioner and observation. The data was entered using epinfo version 7 and analyzed with SPSS version 20. Result: The level of competence of UHEWs is found to be52.9%. Competence varied significantly with availability of training and close supportive supervision and technical support by the PHCU. Those who didn‟t took training in the past 3 months are less competent as compared to those who did took the training with [AOR: 0.010 . 95% CI: (0.001-0.62)] while those who received close supportive supervision and technical support by the PHCU are competent than those who didn‟t with [AOR : 21 . 95% CI: (4.34-100)]. But this study has found that there is no significant relation between knowledge transfer and competence. Conclusion: Both in the exam questions assessment and the observation portion of this study shows that those who are incompetent at their job are almost equal with those who are and that there is strong positive significant relation between training and supportive supervision with the competence level of HEWs.