Thesis Proposal
Target 4a of the millennium development goals (MDGs) is to reduce by two-thirds the under-five mortality rate. So far, global statistics have shown that the mortality rate of this sector has been reduced by 17,000 deaths annually. However, the United Nations reports that in sub-Saharan Africa, one ten children die before reaching age five while it is one in sixteen children in Southern Asia. In these areas, as well as in low-income communities elsewhere, the role of community workers cannot be discounted, particularly in preventing the spread of infectious diseases such as measles and dengue fever. It is therefore relevant to look into the effectiveness of community health workers in preventing the spread of infectious diseases among children under five years old in urban areas.
- How effective are visits of community health workers in preventing infectious diseases among children under five years old in urban areas?
- What specific strategies launched by community health workers are most effective in preventing the spread of infectious diseases?
- What kinds of infectious diseases can be prevented from spreading through visits of community health workers?
- What are the factors that contribute to the spread of infectious diseases among the under five population in urban areas?
- How does parental income, mother’s education, household size and other variables contribute to the spread of infectious diseases among the under five population?
The proposed approach to this study is a mixed methods research. Quantitative analysis will be carried out from data collected using survey questionnaires. In order to further examine issues identified by respondents, the qualitative method of semi-structured interviews will be undertaken. Themes and patterns from these interviews would be identified during the analysis. The proposed variables for the study are frequency of visits of community health workers (independent variable), number of children with an infectious disease in a household, number of children contracting an infectious disease in the community, frequency of infectious diseases within a given period. The household’s income level, educational level of mother/parents, number of children in a household, and household size are the control variables. Prior to the survey and interviews, a thorough review of published studies available online will be conducted to cull out important information relevant to the study. This research will build upon existing literature about the effectiveness of community workers.
It is expected that the hypothesis of “the more frequent the visits are, the lesser the rate of spread of infectious diseases” will be proven by the study. The factors affecting the community health workers’ effectiveness may surface during the research. Other data pertaining to infectious diseases such as the type, frequency, and common treatments will also be covered as these will be included in the questionnaire.
This study contributes to the global objective of reducing child mortality by 2015. Community health workers are key actors in this agenda because they are the ones who are directly in the frontlines of health delivery systems worldwide. The results of the study will provide information on the mechanisms that are most effective in the field. At the same time it shall likewise identify the ones that are preventing successful operations. These lessons can be used as references in improving health-care delivery for the under five population at the global level.
