Partnership for Advocacy in child and family health at Scale coalition groups in Kaduna and Kano have collected data on Amoxicillin DT and Zinc/ORT to determine the level of compliance with the implementation status of the revised WHO guidelines in their states. The coalition also validated the data collected with state government officials and other stakeholders in these states

In Kaduna State, the coalition commenced field assessment of Amoxicillin DT and Zinc/ORS implementation in the state, the activities commence with the development of checklist and orientation meeting for the assessment with the aim to determine the level of compliance with the implementation status of the revised WHO treatment guideline for Amoxicillin DT and Zinc/ORT. The developed assessment checklist will be administered at the SPHCB, SMOH, paediatric hospital, selected PHCs and one tertiary hospital in the state.

The assessment was conducted in 7 LGAs, including facility audits; health care provider surveys assessing their practice to explore current practice and opportunities. At the state and health facility levels, an assessment checklist was used for primary data collection. This tool was assessed for validity and reliability.  The tool was then administered at the state level targeting the State Primary Health Care Board (SPHCB) where the program lines for childhood killer disease management were domiciled. The tool also sought to collect data at the facility level and a total of 14 facilities providing childcare were assessed for two PHCs per LGA. The facilities were randomly selected in the state. Data collection took place from the 30th April-4the May 2021 in the health facilities concurrently.

Meanwhile, GIWAC-PAS and PAS coalition with representation from SPHCB also conducted a one-day validation meeting on the assessment report produced on amoxicillin DT and Zinc ORS implementation status in Kaduna State. Mal. Jibril Isah made the presentation on the assessment report, where he highlighted the aims, objective, methodology and the result of the assessment. But further stress that due to the limited sample of PHCs assessed, the findings from the assessment cannot be generalized to all health facilities in the twenty-three LGAs because the sample is not representative of the total health facilities. But this gives an insight into the situation for further exploration. Observations made during the presentation was that the report should capture the exact quantity of stocks available at each health facilities visited. 

The meeting has six persons in attendance from the coalition, and the director IMCI from SPHCB in the person of Mrs. Cecilia Marcus, the director of PHC Dr Neyu and zonal IMCI coordinators

In Niger State, CCRHS-PAS are currently collecting data for the quarterly reports for the implementation status of CKD treatment protocols in Niger state. The data collection will utilize key personnel interviews with government and relevant stakeholders and primary data collection at facility sites randomly selected in Niger state. This data will be used to determine the status of implementation in the state.

In Kano State, PAS subgrantee, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), organized a meeting for mentoring of health workers on the Integrated Management Childhood Illnesses, and will visit some health facilities across the State to monitor implementation. Mentors were invited to plan for the activity and also installed the ODK checklists in their phones so as to have real time submission of data.

Next step

• Conduct dissemination meeting with key stakeholders
• Produce of the narrative report, scorecard on the assessment and factsheet
• Conduct validation and dissemination meeting with key stakeholder
• Kaduna PAS coalition to produce narrative report on the implementation status of the revised WHO treatment guideline for pneumonia and diarrheal, produce scorecard and fact sheet on key finding from the assessment
• MWAN will collect data from health facilities in the state on CKD in Kano State
• In Niger State, CCRHS is working to determine the status of implementation in the state