Lemessa Assefa, Wubareg Seifu*, Solomon G Tsadik and Abdifara Ahmed
Background: Health systems in sub-Saharan African countries often suffer from weak infrastructure, lack of human resources, and poor supply chain management systems and access to health services is low particularly in rural areas. In 2004, the Federal Ministry of Health sought a primary care strategy that could immediately scaled up to address the major challenges in the health system by launching the health extension program. Health extension program was launched after four years in 2008 in Ethiopian Somali regional state without base line assessment and consideration of the pastoral and agro pastoral context.
Objectives: The overall objectives of the HEP evaluation study was to assess the implementation process and status of HEP in the Ethiopian Somali regional state and to determine the effect of HEP on health outcome measure pastoral and agro pastoral community of Ethiopian Somali region.
Methods: A multi stage cluster sampling method with kebele as the cluster unit will be used to select sample households. The assessment of the effect of HEP on health outcomes were undertaken through community based cross sectional surveys of a representative sample respondent to assess the change in outcome measures over time. Data collection was collected through personal interviews using structured questionnaires among 557 households and 8 health extension workers. Data were entered on epi data 3.1 and exported to SPSS 20 for further analysis. Descriptive analysis was made for the collected data.
Results: Most of HHs (32.7%) was aware about immunization service among the HEP packages. Around 58% of the HHs was not visited by HEWs in the surveyed communities. Most (29.4%) of the HHs were unsatisfied with delivery service received from the HEWs in the assessed communities. The major constraint was shortage of drug supply 161 (28.9%) followed by shortage of necessary equipment's 155 (27.8) as described by the HHs. In this survey 8 (61.5%) of the HEWs were males.
Conclusion: To improve the HEWs program continuous supply of essential drugs and basic medical equipment's. On top of that recruitment of female HEWs which in line with the recommendation of HEP is needed to improve the HEP program in the region.
