Does inter-border conflict influence the views of task sharing among community health volunteers in Nigeria? A qualitative study
Abstract Background Volunteer community health workers are increasingly being engaged in Nigeria, through the World Health Organization’s task sharing strategy. This strategy aims to address gaps in human resources for health, including inequitable distribution of health workers. Recent conflicts in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Conflict and Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-022-00472-y |
| _version_ | 1811287335488192512 |
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| author | Luret Lar Martyn Stewart Sunday Isiyaku Laura Dean Kim Ozano Caleb Mpyet Sally Theobald |
| author_facet | Luret Lar Martyn Stewart Sunday Isiyaku Laura Dean Kim Ozano Caleb Mpyet Sally Theobald |
| author_sort | Luret Lar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Volunteer community health workers are increasingly being engaged in Nigeria, through the World Health Organization’s task sharing strategy. This strategy aims to address gaps in human resources for health, including inequitable distribution of health workers. Recent conflicts in rural and fragile border communities in northcentral Nigeria create challenges for volunteer community health workers to meet their community's increasing health needs. This study aimed to explore the perception of volunteers involved in task sharing to understand factors affecting performance and delivery in such contexts. Methods This was a qualitative study conducted in fragile border communities in north central Nigeria. Eighteen audio recorded, semi-structured interviews with volunteers and supervisors were performed. Their perceptions on how task sharing and allocation of tasks affect performance and delivery were elucidated. The transactional social framework was applied during the thematic analysis process to generate an explanatory account of the research data, which was analysed using NVivo software. Results Promotive and preventive tasks were shared among the predominantly agrarian respondents. There was a structured task allocation process that linked the community with the health system and mainly cordial relationships were in place. However, there were barriers related to ethnoreligious crises and current conflict, timing of task allocations, gender inequities in volunteerism, shortage of commodities, inadequate incentives, dwindling community support and negative attitudes of some volunteers. Conclusion The perception of task sharing was mainly positive, despite the challenges, especially the current conflict. In this fragile context, reconsideration of non-seasonal task allocations within improved community-driven selection and security systems should be encouraged. Supportive supervision and providing adequate and timely renumeration will also be beneficial in this fragile setting. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:15:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ba1a41fa0e4d4a0b935a32b60b283436 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1752-1505 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:15:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Conflict and Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-ba1a41fa0e4d4a0b935a32b60b2834362022-12-22T03:04:55ZengBMCConflict and Health1752-15052022-07-0116111010.1186/s13031-022-00472-yDoes inter-border conflict influence the views of task sharing among community health volunteers in Nigeria? A qualitative studyLuret Lar0Martyn Stewart1Sunday Isiyaku2Laura Dean3Kim Ozano4Caleb Mpyet5Sally Theobald6Liverpool School of Tropical MedicineLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineSightsavers, Nigeria Country OfficeLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineDepartment of Community Medicine, University of Jos/Jos University Teaching HospitalLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineAbstract Background Volunteer community health workers are increasingly being engaged in Nigeria, through the World Health Organization’s task sharing strategy. This strategy aims to address gaps in human resources for health, including inequitable distribution of health workers. Recent conflicts in rural and fragile border communities in northcentral Nigeria create challenges for volunteer community health workers to meet their community's increasing health needs. This study aimed to explore the perception of volunteers involved in task sharing to understand factors affecting performance and delivery in such contexts. Methods This was a qualitative study conducted in fragile border communities in north central Nigeria. Eighteen audio recorded, semi-structured interviews with volunteers and supervisors were performed. Their perceptions on how task sharing and allocation of tasks affect performance and delivery were elucidated. The transactional social framework was applied during the thematic analysis process to generate an explanatory account of the research data, which was analysed using NVivo software. Results Promotive and preventive tasks were shared among the predominantly agrarian respondents. There was a structured task allocation process that linked the community with the health system and mainly cordial relationships were in place. However, there were barriers related to ethnoreligious crises and current conflict, timing of task allocations, gender inequities in volunteerism, shortage of commodities, inadequate incentives, dwindling community support and negative attitudes of some volunteers. Conclusion The perception of task sharing was mainly positive, despite the challenges, especially the current conflict. In this fragile context, reconsideration of non-seasonal task allocations within improved community-driven selection and security systems should be encouraged. Supportive supervision and providing adequate and timely renumeration will also be beneficial in this fragile setting.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-022-00472-yInter-border conflictTask sharingCommunity health volunteersNigeria |
| spellingShingle | Luret Lar Martyn Stewart Sunday Isiyaku Laura Dean Kim Ozano Caleb Mpyet Sally Theobald Does inter-border conflict influence the views of task sharing among community health volunteers in Nigeria? A qualitative study Conflict and Health Inter-border conflict Task sharing Community health volunteers Nigeria |
| title | Does inter-border conflict influence the views of task sharing among community health volunteers in Nigeria? A qualitative study |
| title_full | Does inter-border conflict influence the views of task sharing among community health volunteers in Nigeria? A qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Does inter-border conflict influence the views of task sharing among community health volunteers in Nigeria? A qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does inter-border conflict influence the views of task sharing among community health volunteers in Nigeria? A qualitative study |
| title_short | Does inter-border conflict influence the views of task sharing among community health volunteers in Nigeria? A qualitative study |
| title_sort | does inter border conflict influence the views of task sharing among community health volunteers in nigeria a qualitative study |
| topic | Inter-border conflict Task sharing Community health volunteers Nigeria |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-022-00472-y |
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