The village health worker programme in primary health care in the Maseru health service area: a case study
Abstract
English: Health in Lesotho is similar to many developing countries, where health
care facilities are poor. The delivery of health care services is especially
poor in the rural villages. The aim of this study was to find out whether
the implementation of the Village Health Worker Programme has
improved the provision of health care services and the health status in
the Maseru Health Service Area. The Village Health Workers' support in
the villages and the problems, which may have resulted in poor delivery
of services, were also investigated.
In the empirical phase a qualitative survey was undertaken using Focus
Group Discussions for three categories of respondents, namely the
trainers, Village Health Workers (VHWs) and villagers. The interviews in
the villages were arranged with the consent of the chiefs in Ha Foso and
Ha Thamae. The interviews with the respondents were conducted in
English and Sesotho. The reason was that the respondents in the villages
could only communicate in Sesotho, while the VHW staff was proficient
in English.
The following factors can be highlighted regarding the Village Health
Worker Programme in the Maseru Health Service Area:
+ Firstly, the greater percentage of Lesotho's population resides in the
rural villages. The findings of this study reveal that many people in
these villages are old, poor and unemployed. This situation results in
poor health status in the villages.
+ Secondly, the delivery of health care services in the villages is poor.
The researcher found that where the Programme was implemented
properly, it was accepted and supported by the communities involved
for example Ha Foso. Here the Programme also managed to improve
the delivery of health care services, which resulted in a good health
status within the community. On the other hand, the opposite was
found in the villages that did not support the Programme, for example
in Ha Thamae.
Thirdly, the problems in the VHW Programme have affected its
implementation in the villages. The respondents asserted that if the
aim of the Government is to improve health in the villages, incentives
to the VHWs must be a priority.
In the light of the data obtained from the .literature study and from the
respondents, one may conclude that unless the structure and policies of
the VHW Programme are changed to suit the interests of all the people
involved, it has no future in the Maseru HSA. Afrikaans: Gesondheid in Lesotho is in ooreenstemming met dié van talle ander
ontwikkelende lande met swak gesondheidsdienste.
Gesondheidsdienslewering is by uitstek swak in die landelike gebiede.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stelof die implementering van
die Village Health Worker-Program die voorsiening van
respondente, naamlik die opleidingsbeamptes, die Village Health Workers
(VHWs) en die inwoners van die dorpies. Dié onderhoude is gereël met die
toestemming van die stamhoofde in Ha Foso en Ha Thamae. Die
onderhoude met die respondente is in beide Engels en Sesotho gevoer,
omdat die respondente in die dorpies slegs in Sesotho kon kommunikeer,
terwyl die VHW-personeel net Engels magtig is.
Die volgende faktore rakende die Village Health Worker-Program in die
Maseru Gesondheidsdiensarea kan uitgelig word:
• Eerstens, die grootste persentasie van Lesotho se bevolking woon in
die landelike dorpies. Die bevindinge van dié studie toon dat talle
inwoners van die dorpies oud, arm en werkloos is. Hierdie situasie gee
aanleiding tot swak gesondheidstatus in die dorpies.
• Tweedens, die gesondheidsorgdienslewering in die dorpies is swak.
Die navorser het bevind dat waar die Program behoorlik
geïmplementeer is, dit deur die betrokke gemeenskappe aanvaar en
ondersteun is. Dit was die geval in Ha Foso. Hier het die Program
daarin geslaag om die lewering van gesondheidsorgdienste te verbeter,
wat ook 'n positiewe invloed op die gesondheidstatus in die
gemeenskap gehad het. Hierteenoor is die teenoorgestelde bevind in
die dorpies wat die Program nie ondersteun het nie, byvoorbeeld in Ha
Thamae.
• Derdens, die probleme in die VHW-Program het die implementering
daarvan in die dorpies belemmer. Die respondente het aangevoer dat
indien dit 'n doelstelling van die Regering is om gesondheid in die
dorpies te verbeter, moet die voordele van die VHWs prioriteit geniet.
gesondheidsdienste en die gesondheidstatus In die Maseru
Gesondheidsdiensarea verbeter het. Ondersoek is ook ingestel na die
ondersteuning van die VHWs en die probleme wat tot swak
gesondheidsdienslewering aanleiding kon gee.
In die empiriese fase van die studie is In kwalitatiewe ondersoek uitgevoer
met behulp van fokusgroepbesprekings met drie kategorieë van
In die lig van die data bekom uit die literatuur en van die respondente,
kom die navorser tot die gevolgtrekking dat die struktuur en beleid van
die VHW- Program gewysig moet word om die belange van al die
betrokkenes te dien, anders het dit geen toekoms in die Maseru
Gesondheidsdiensarea nie.
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