Table 3 Nursing mothers’ response on access to services provided by PPMVs for childhood illness treatment
Parameter assessed | Frequency | Percent |
|---|---|---|
Sources of advice/information on the treatment of coughs and colds and on the use of antibiotics | ||
(a) Chemist/patent medicine vendor | 52 | 31.3 |
(b) Health worker | 61 | 36.7 |
(c) Neighbour | 3 | 1.8 |
(d) Family members/relatives | 44 | 26.5 |
Others | 6 | 3.6 |
Total | 166 | |
What kind of advice do the PPMVs give on treatment of coughs and cold for your child? | ||
Administer drugs including antibiotics | 38 | 37.3 |
Cover the child with cloth | 29 | 28.4 |
Use warm water | 19 | 18.6 |
Go/refer to hospital | 9 | 8.8 |
Come back if the sickness persists | 7 | 6.9 |
Total | 102 | |
Sources where antibiotics used to treat childhood cough/acute respiratory infections are obtained | ||
(a) PPMVs store | 89 | 57.1 |
(b) Primary Health Centre | 38 | 24.4 |
(c) General hospital | 19 | 12.2 |
(d) Drug hawkers | 1 | 0.6 |
(e) Others | 9 | 5.8 |
Total | 156 | |
The last time child had childhood acute respiratory infections, how many hours after noticing did you commence the treatment | ||
(a) Within 1 h | 56 | 36.6 |
(b) Within 2 to 6 h | 25 | 47.2 |
(c) Within 6 to 12 h | 14 | 3.1 |
(d) Within 12 h to 1 day | 29 | 19 |
(e) Within 1 day to 2 days | 29 | 19 |
Total | 153 | |
How many times in a day did you administer the drug? | ||
(a) Once | 3 | 2 |
(b) Twice | 61 | 40.4 |
(c) 3 times | 83 | 55 |
(d) 4 times | 1 | 0.7 |
(e) 5 times | 3 | 2 |
Total | 151 | |
For how many days did you give the drug? | ||
(a) 1 day | 1 | 0.6 |
(b) 2 days | 10 | 6.6 |
(c) 3 days | 63 | 42 |
(d) 4 days | 18 | 12 |
(e) 5 days | 58 | 38.6 |
Total | 150 | |
What was the outcome of the treatment you gave your child? | ||
(a) Got well | 138 | 90.8 |
(b) Got a little better | 14 | 9.2 |
Total | 152 | |
Did you have to take your child to a health facility, dispensary or chemist after treatment at home with the drugs? | ||
Yes | 51 | 34.5 |
No | 97 | 65.5 |
Total | 149 | |
If Yes, why? | ||
(a) Sickness persisted | 15 | 29.4 |
(b) To be sure child is cured | 35 | 68.6 |
(c) Sickness getting worse | 1 | 2.0 |
Total | 51 | |
What other treatments do you use (including non-drug therapies) to treat childhood cough/acute respiratory infections? | ||
Herbs/herbal mixture | 58 | 46.4 |
Warm water | 51 | 40.8 |
Balm | 16 | 12.8 |
Total | 125 | |