The West Africa Initiative to Strengthen Capacities through Health Systems Research
Programs and partnerships
Lead institution(s)
Summary
West Africa has many of the lowest development indicators in the world - 10 of the 15 member states of the West African Community number among the world's 35 low-income countries.Read more
West Africa has many of the lowest development indicators in the world - 10 of the 15 member states of the West African Community number among the world's 35 low-income countries. The World Health Organization reports that 14 of the member states have a high maternal mortality ratio, defined as 300 or more maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. These dismal statistics tell the story of a region facing dysfunctional health and social services with a limited capacity to conduct research that informs sound health policies and practices. Of the health research that is undertaken in the region, much is done in isolation, and findings are not shared or disseminated across governments or health systems. The result: synergies across findings are not made and links between researchers and decision-makers are often weak. This project sets the foundation for producing and using rigorous and relevant evidence to strengthen equitable and sustainable health systems in West Africa. Four teams will be funded through a call for proposals focusing on research on how to strengthen health systems in West Africa. A group of leaders with regional expertise will be mobilized and supported to advise on the call and guide the overall project. The project will also help the West African Health Organisation, a respected stakeholder and the mandated body coordinating efforts to improve health in the region, promote interest in the call and encourage the use of research findings by ministers of health from member countries. Research results will be disseminated through a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal, policy briefs, and articles to further inform health policy and practice in West Africa.
Research outputs
Access full library of outputs Opens in new tab
This policy brief presents key challenges facing primary health information in Delta State (Nigeria). It outlines actionable recommendations regarding strengthening the system of data generation and collection. Adequate health information is crucial at the primary health care level, where information for subsequent health care planning and delivery of relevant health care is essential. Collected data must be accurate, complete, reliable, legible and accessible to authorized users. Pressures to separately collect data on specific health challenges often leads to a fragmented system.
The survey of primary health care facilities in Delta State shows that community involvement in the management and delivery of primary health services is lacking. The empowerment and participation of women of child bearing age is needed as a key component of any strategy to involve community members towards effective delivery of maternal and child health care. This policy brief is based on the findings of ongoing research, “Strengthening the health system in Nigeria through improved equitable access to Primary Health Care (PHC): The Case of Delta State, Niger Delta region.”
This policy brief outlines some actions to be taken to train and integrate lay community-based health workers (CHW) into the primary health care system of Delta State (Nigeria) to enhance the health workforce. In some communities CHWs provide health education messages and gather data; in others, they provide higher level services, such as dispensing medications and assisting at births. Roles, trainings, credentials, and services vary by community. An essential step in the Harmonization Framework is to adopt a common definition and core set of agreed-upon CHW tasks and competencies for different cadres of CHWs in the country.
Share this page