Planning Helminth Control Interventions – Conducting a Situation Analysis
Description of tool:
The information in this tool was adapted by UNESCO Division for the Promotion of
Quality Education from the following publication:
WHO 1996. WHO Information Series on School Health – Document 1. Strengthening
Interventions to Reduce Helminth Infections: An Entry Point for the Development of
Health-Promoting Schools. Geneva: WHO.
Description of document:
This documented is intended to help ministries of health and education establish
policies, provide skills-based health education, create a healthy environment, and
provide school health services that reduce helminth infections among students, their
families, and the community. The document describes how each of the four
components of FRESH can be used to prevent helminth infections.
FRESH offers a strategic framework for
developing an effective school health
programme. Planning and evaluation are
PP&E tool graphic essential processes that enable you to
adapt the framework to local resources
and needs. Careful planning and
documentation of outcomes enhances the
success and sustainability of school health
programme activities.
FRESH Tools for Effective School Health First Edition 2004
http://www.fresh.org/
Planning Helminth Control Interventions – Conducting a Situation Analysis1
What is a situation analysis?
In simplest terms, a situation analysis is an effort undertaken by programme planners to
gather and analyze information that will help them to design, implement and evaluate
interventions. Typically, the kind of information collected relates to who is affected and why
or how they are affected, the severity of the problem, and resources and strategies that
might be employed to produce the desired outcomes. For health-related interventions,
information about individuals’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour is often key.
Why conduct a situation analysis?
Efforts to reduce helminth infection through school-based interventions are most likely to
succeed when two conditions are met:
i) they are strongly supported by policy and decision makers, the school staff and
students, and parents and other members of the community; and
ii) credible information about the need for the interventions, the resources required and
the outcomes expected is used to plan, implement and evaluate all aspects of the effort
undertaken.
At whatever level of programme planning (national, district or local), both the process and
outcomes of a situation analysis can help to meet these conditions. A good situation
analysis has several benefits:
Policy- and decision-makers will need a strong basis for their support, especially when
their policies and decisions involve the allocation of resources.
Accurate and up-to-date data and information provide a basis for discussion,
justification, setting priorities for action and identifying groups with special needs, such
as children belonging to underprivileged and minority groups or those living in
geographic areas where helminth infections are prevalent.
Data obtained through the situation analysis can help ensure that interventions are
tailored to the specific needs, experience, motivation and strengths of the students,
staff, families and community members targeted.
Data obtained through the situation analysis provide a baseline against which to
measure future trends in helminth infection rates and environmental factors that
contribute to the spread of helminths. This is essential for evaluating the results of the
activities undertaken, and for making improvements to on-going programmes.
Who should be involved in conducting a situation analysis?
To ensure the success and sustainability of school health programmes, the FRESH initiative
calls for effective partnerships between education and health sector workers, and the active
participation of students, parents and other community members in all school health promotion
activities. (See FRESH supporting strategies.)
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It is a good idea to involve a cross-section of all these people in the process of planning and
conducting your situation analysis. In this way, you build commitment for the programme that will
be developed and implemented right from the beginning. Ideally, two teams of supporters should
be assembled: a School Health Team and a Community Advisory Group. See Establishing a
School Health Team and Assembling a Community Advisory Committee for information about
the composition and responsibilities of these groups.
Information needed
Various quantitative and qualitative information is needed for planning health promotion and
helminth reduction interventions and for establishing a baseline for evaluation. Quantitative
information includes numbers and scores while qualitative information includes perceptions
and feelings.
The following information can help determine local needs concerning helminth infection:
Current data at national, regional, local and/or school level describing the impact of
helminth infection on the health and well-being of the community. This data should
include the proportion of persons who are infected with helminths and how heavily they
are infected. Heavy infections are associated with disease and other problems. Death
rates are also important, as under certain circumstances helminth infections can be life-
threatening conditions. Data about rates and levels of infection, as well as deaths, may
already be available from the local health unit. If they are not available, they can be
obtained through a sample survey in a given area or population.
Data is also needed about local factors that might strengthen or hinder helminth
reduction efforts. This includes knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and conditions related
to health in general and helminth infection in particular. For example, people might not
know that using faecal material as fertilizer facilitates the spread of helminths, or that
water from contaminated sources must be boiled. Without information about these
helping or hindering forces, educational interventions are not likely to be targeted to the
most relevant factors that contribute to helminth infection in the community and thus are
unlikely to achieve the desired result.
Available resources in the school and community. This includes determining which
specific personnel and financial resources and services are available. Assessments
should include the nature and extent of existing programmes, either through the school
or community, which might support the implementation of helminth reduction
interventions in schools. Knowing this information allows the school health team to draw
on available resources for implementing new programmes or improving existing ones.
The table on the next page outlines the basic questions that might form the basis of a
situation analysis and suggests methods for collecting data.
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Planning Helminth Control Interventions: Conducting a Situation Analysis
Sources and Methods
Basic Questions
for Data Collection
How prevalent are helminth infections in the Review of existing data; or
community? Sample survey by faecal or urine
examinations
How prevalent are helminth infections in Same as above.
school-age children? Data for infection rate and worm burden
How frequent are the major health problems Interviews with school nurses or
in school children caused or affected by teachers in charge;
worm infections, such as abdominal pain, Consult school health records;
diarrhoea, anaemia, bloody urine, intestinal Interviews with parents;
bleeding, growth retardation and Review of data available at district
malnutrition? hospitals and local health centres
How frequent are hospital admittance and Review of data available at district
surgical emergency of school age children hospitals and local health centres
due to worm infection?
Are there data on deaths due to worm Same as above
infection in school age children?
What are the important unhealthy behaviours Observation;
in relation to worm infection in school Questionnaire;
children? Problem solving discussions
Do parents and children have basic Questionnaire;
knowledge on worm infection? Focal group
What are the common attitudes on infection Questionnaire;
and deworming in parents and children? Focus group
Are sanitary facilities (water supply and Survey and interview with school heads
latrines) available and properly maintained in
schools?
Are there other health interventions being Interview with school and community
implemented in selected schools and is it leaders
possible to integrate them with deworming?
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Adapted from: WHO 1996. WHO Information Series on School Health – Document 1. Strengthening
Interventions to Reduce Helminth Infections: An Entry Point for the Development of Health-Promoting Schools.
Geneva: WHO.
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