Page 124 - GHES-3-2

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Community participation in primary health care

Reliability was ensured through several measures, These findings emphasize the need for capacity-
including internal consistency checks during pre-testing building initiatives to equip WDC members with the
and standardization of the data collection process through necessary skills for effective resource management.
training. The use of structured questionnaires and stratified The functional factors evaluated included:
random sampling further enhanced the consistency and • Social mobilization: WDCs played a pivotal role
representativeness of the data. These steps collectively in mobilizing communities for public health
ensured that the tool reliably captured the involvement interventions. For example, 96% of the committees
and influence of WDCs on primary healthcare services in coordinated social mobilization campaigns, such as
Kebbi State.
immunization drives and maternal health programs.
2.6. Data analysis These efforts illustrate their active engagement
in improving health outcomes within their
Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, communities.
and qualitative data were thematically analyzed to identify • Resource mobilization and drug availability: Through
key themes and patterns. community-led initiatives, 33% of the WDCs

2.7. Ethics approval and consent to participate established their own DRF schemes in wards lacking
functional government-supported DRF schemes.
The Institutional Review Board of Euclid University This initiative increased the availability of essential
granted ethical approval to conduct the study, adhering to drugs, particularly in underserved areas. However,
the Declaration of Helsinki. In addition, all participants challenges such as the lack of formal financial systems
gave their informed consent to participate in the study. and limited training in financial oversight hindered

3. Results and analysis • the full potential of these efforts.
Transparency and accountability: WDCs also
A total of 191 out of 225 WDCs in Kebbi State and 200 influenced PHC-level transparency. For instance,
PHC catchment populations were assessed. 61% of PHCs displayed operational hours, while 65%
of them listed available services, reflecting improved
3.1. Key structure and function factors communication and client-focused practices. These
This study evaluated WDCs based on structural and advancements were driven by the supervisory
functional dimensions critical to their effectiveness in activities of WDCs and their emphasis on fostering
supporting primary health care. The structural factors accountability.
assessed included:
• Establishment and routine engagement: All 191 3.2. Subgroup comparisons
WDCs were successfully established, demonstrating WDCs were divided into subgroups based on key structural
100% adherence to the mandate of creating functional indicators to explore the influence of structural factors
community health governance structures. Almost all on functionality. Comparative analysis was conducted as
WDCs (97%) conducted regular monthly meetings, follows:
with the same percentage documenting these meetings 1. Meeting frequency and functional performance
in official minutes, signifying a structured and Committees that conducted monthly meetings (97%)
consistent approach to community engagement. In demonstrated higher community engagement, with
addition, 87% shared these minutes with stakeholders, 85% successfully organizing social mobilization
ensuring transparency and wider participation in campaigns, compared to 63% for those meeting less
decision-making processes. frequently. The Chi-squared test revealed a statistically
• Governance and oversight: A significant 94% of significant association between meeting frequency
WDCs actively monitored the performance indicators and community engagement (p < 0.05).
of PHCs. This involvement indicates a strong focus on 2. Financial management and resource mobilization
governance and accountability, as committees ensured WDCs with functional bank accounts (16%) showed
that key metrics, such as operational hours and service higher success rates in implementing DRF schemes
costs, were tracked and addressed. (45%) compared to those without bank accounts
• Financial management: Although 91% of WDCs (28%). This suggests a positive link between financial
reported having independent means of generating infrastructure and resource mobilization.
funds, only 16% maintained functional bank accounts. 3. Supervision and PHC accountability
This gap highlights an area requiring improvement in Committees actively monitoring performance
financial management and accountability mechanisms. indicators (94%) were more likely to influence PHCs

Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 116 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4945