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Motivations and Challenges of Community-Based Surveillance Volunteers in the Northern Region of Ghana

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Abstract

Community health workers (CHWs) are an important element of many health systems and programmes for the promotion and delivery of a wide range of health interventions and disease surveillance. Understanding the motivation and retention of CHWs is recognized as essential but there are few data from sub-Saharan Africa. This qualitative study explored factors that motivate, and the challenges faced by community-based surveillance volunteers (CBSVs) in the Northern Region of Ghana through semi-structured interviews with 28 CBSVs, 12 zonal coordinators, nine Ghana Health Service (GHS) sub-district level staff, ten GHS district level staff and two GHS regional level staff in the administrative capital. The community emerged as an important motivating factor in terms of altruism, a sense of duty to the community and gaining community respect and pride. This was enhanced by community selection of the volunteers. Major challenges included incorrect community perceptions of CBSVs, problems with transportation and equipment, difficulties conducting both volunteer and farm work and late or lack of payment for ad hoc tasks such as National Immunization Days. Most CBSVs recognized that they were volunteers, understood the constraints of the health system and were not demanding remuneration. However, CBSVs strongly desired something tangible to show that their work is recognized and appreciated and described a number of low cost items that could be used. They also desired equipment such as raincoats and identifiers such as tee-shirts and certificates.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all those who kindly took time to participate in this study. We would also like to thank the Ghana Guinea Worm Eradication Programme staff for their field and technical support and guidance, without which this study would not have been possible. Many thanks in particular to David Agyemang for his time and constant support both during data collection and analysis. Data presented in this paper were collected for the thesis component of a Masters in Control of Infectious Disease at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London. We would also like to thank London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for providing funding for flights to and from Ghana.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Child Health, Centre for International Health and Development, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK

    Yasemin Dil, Daniel Strachan & Zelee Hill

  2. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

    Sandy Cairncross

  3. Ghana Guinea Worm Eradication Programme, Ghana Health Service, Tamale, Ghana

    Andrew Seidu Korkor

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  1. Yasemin Dil
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  2. Daniel Strachan
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  3. Sandy Cairncross
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  4. Andrew Seidu Korkor
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  5. Zelee Hill
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Correspondence to Zelee Hill.

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Dil, Y., Strachan, D., Cairncross, S. et al. Motivations and Challenges of Community-Based Surveillance Volunteers in the Northern Region of Ghana. J Community Health 37, 1192–1198 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-012-9569-5

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