Effectiveness of screening and treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition by community health workers in Simiyu region, Tanzania: a quasi-experimental pilot study
Abstract Health system constraints hamper treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in Tanzania. This non-inferiority quasi-experimental study in Bariadi (intervention) and Maswa (control) districts assessed the effectiveness, coverage, and cost-effectiveness of SAM treatment by com...
Guardado en:
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
Nature Portfolio
2021
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/9673a539c74b41b3bfd405f4cce70893 |
| Etiquetas: |
Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
|
| Sumario: | Abstract Health system constraints hamper treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in Tanzania. This non-inferiority quasi-experimental study in Bariadi (intervention) and Maswa (control) districts assessed the effectiveness, coverage, and cost-effectiveness of SAM treatment by community health workers (CHWs) compared with outpatient therapeutic care (OTC). We included 154 and 210 children aged 6–59 months with SAM [mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) < 11.5 cm] without medical complications in the control and intervention districts, respectively. The primary treatment outcome was cure (MUAC ≥ 12.5 cm). We performed costing analysis from the provider’s perspective. The probability of cure was higher in the intervention group (90.5%) than in the control group (75.3%); risk ratio (RR) 1.17; 95% CI 1.05, 1.31 and risk difference (RD) 0.13; 95% CI 0.04, 0.23. SAM treatment coverage was higher in the intervention area (80.9%) than in the control area (41.7%). The cost per child treated was US$146.50 in the intervention group and US$161.62 in the control group and that per child cured was US$161.77 and US$215.49 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. The additional costs per an additional child treated and cured were US$134.40 and US$130.92, respectively. Compared with OTC, treatment of children with uncomplicated SAM by CHWs was effective, increased treatment coverage and was cost-effective. |
|---|