Health surveillance assistants (HSA) knowledge and management of immunization adverse effects at Kawale and area 25 health centres in Lilongwe.
Immunization services are provided by Health surveillance Assistant's who at first were recruited as chicken pox vaccinators around 1960s. They are responsible for about 60% of all vaccinations provided to children under five both in rural and urban areas. Although this is the case, literature...
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| Format: | Other |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
2022
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| Online Access: | http://nkhokwe.kuhes.ac.mw/handle/20.500.12845/517 |
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Add Tag | Summary: | Immunization services are provided by Health surveillance Assistant's who at first were recruited as chicken pox vaccinators around 1960s. They are responsible for about 60% of
all vaccinations provided to children under five both in rural and urban areas. Although this is the case, literature has shown that these people are not well trained and some did not pass through any training before they started working and parents have been reporting
to the hospital with different adverse effects following immunizations. This research therefore wanted to find out Health surveillance assistant's knowledge and management of immunization adverse effects. The objectives of the study were; to assess
knowledge that HSAs have on immunization adverse effects, finding out the effects observed by HSAs following immunization and finding out ways used by HSAs in
managing immunization adverse effects. The study used a descriptive quantitative method to describe the HSAs knowledge and management of immunizations adverse effects. Non-probability quota sampling of 30
HSAs from Kawale and Area 25 Health centres was used to collect data from 27th August to 28th August, 2009.Analysis of quantitative data employed Statistical package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 1 1.5 while qualitative data was analysed by content analysis.
Permission was sought from Kamuzu college of Nursing research and publications committee, Lilongwe district health office and the in charges of Kawale and Area 25 health centres. The findings of the study were that 60% of the respondents had junior certificate as their highest qualification while 40% had Malawi School certificate of examination. 100% of the respondents worked more than one year. 66.7% of the respondents had training before they started working and 80% of those who had training covered the full course of immunizations. It has also been found that 93.3% have never attended an in service training on immunizations since the time they started. The findings of the study were that 83.3% of the respondents had adequate knowledge on immunizations adverse effects. They were able to indicate factors that can lead to immunizations adverse effects development, and how to prevent its development. It has
also been found that 63.3% of the HSAs came across immunizations adverse effect abscesses being the commonest. Almost all those who came across these effects refer
children to the hospital to be seen by the clinicians for better management. The conclusion is that; the level of knowledge of some HSAs on immunisations adverse
effects is low and some even do not know so HSAs have to be provided with adequate knowledge on the whole course of immunizations including adverse effects before they start working. HSAs should be provided with in-service trainings on immunizations so as to increase
their knowledge on the subject since things are changing. These trainings will also help in updating knowledge they gained during their initial trainings. HSAs should also be trained on how to manage minor effects following immunizations such as fever and body rash. |
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