Disease Surveillance and Notification, Knowledge and Practice among Private and Public Primary Health Care Workers in Enugu State, Nigeria: A Comparative Study

Aims: The study was to compare knowledge, practice of Disease Surveillance and notification as well as ascertain factors that influence it among Health care workers in public and private health centres in Enugu state, Nigeria.

Study Design: Comparative cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Selected public and private health facilities in Enugu state, Nigeria, between January and March 2013.

Methodology: Health Care workers in selected public and private health facilities in southeast Nigeria eligible for voluntary participation were selected and studied. The participants were interviewed using a pretested, interviewer administered, semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18 and level of significance was at p ≤ 0.05.

Results: It was based on 160 HCWs (80 each from public and private). The mean age of HCWs was 41.21±8.54 and 38.68±14.64 for public and private respectively. Females > Males in both groups. Some of the factors associated with type of facility included; correct definition of IDSR (AOR= 2.6, 95% CI: 1.4–5.1), correct knowledge of diseases reported (AOR= 4.1, 95% CI 2.1-8.0), correct place to report to (AOR= 3.7, 95% CI 1.9–7.2), correct form for monthly reporting (AOR= 7.0, 95% CI 3.5–14.0), ever reported occurrence of disease (AOR= 8.5, 95% CI 4.0–18.2), reporting in correct place (AOR= 11.5, 95% CI 1.8–73.6), current availability of forms at facility (AOR= 4.9, 95% CI 2.5–9.5), supervision or data collection visits (AOR= 8.8, 95% CI 4.3–18.1) and regularity of the visits (AOR= 6.4, 95% CI 2.3–17.6).

Conclusion: Disease Surveillance and Notification needs to be improved on especially in areas of manpower training and regular supply of forms for efficient Health Management Information System and containment of most diseases ravaging the nation.