Effect of training and supportive supervision on knowledge and practice of integrated diseases surveillance and response among primary health care workers in Kano State, Nigeria

Communicable diseases continue to be major causes of, morbidity, mortality and rising health-care costs especially in developing countries. Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy was endorsed by Nigeria in 1998, as a means of strengthening communicable disease surveillance and response in order to make it more sensitive at all levels of government. A quasi-experimental study design was used to assess the effect of training and supportive supervision on knowledge and practice of IDSR among Primary Health Care (PHC) workers. Data was collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, and analyzed with the aid of Epi info version 3.5.3. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. The mean knowledge score of IDSR at baseline was 28.9±9.7 in the study and 27.4±10.5 in the control group. However, after the intervention, it improved to 51.3±11.8 in the study and slightly changed to 27.1±10.6 in the control group (P<0.05). While, with regards to practice of IDSR, the mean practice scores improved in the study group from 6.43±1.25 to 16.37±3.86 after intervention (P<0.05). In the control group, however, the mean practice score changed from 6.89±1.36 to 8.45±2.75 (P<0.05) at the end of the study. The proportion of some IDSR core activity and supportive function changed from 0% and 16.6% to the standard benchmark of 80%. Training and retraining of health workers on IDSR were recommended as well as periodic supportive supervisory approach in order to enhance health workers capacity.