| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2016 | Volume
: 1
| Issue : 1 | Page : 26-29 |
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Assessing health workers' capacity for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in Haroli health block of district Una in Himachal Pradesh, India: A mixed methods approach
Gopal Chauhan, JS Thakur
Department of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India
Correspondence Address:
Gopal Chauhan
School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
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Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for 60% of the total deaths in India. The National Program for Prevention and Control of Cancers, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) is operational in selected districts of India since 2009-2010. Health workers (HWs) are the key stakeholders in the implementation of NPCDCS at community level. Keeping in view the dismal progress of the program implementation in existing districts, it is evident to assess the capacities of the HWs before rolling out the program in new districts.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 on all the existing 69 HWs of Haroli Health Block of district Una in Himachal Pradesh. The district is still not covered under NPCDCS. The study tools consisted of self-administered questionnaire, observational findings, and focused group discussions.
Results: The HWs capacities for the prevention and control of NCDs are about 26% less than the baseline required as per their perception (mean 3.69, standard deviation [SD] ±0.26). Supportive supervision, trainings, workload, and management information system are the key factors affecting the capacity. Observational finding shows a gap of 39% in their skills (mean 1.83 SD ± 0.06). The health promotional skills and follow-up practices are improving with the working experience of HWs.
Conclusions: The capacity of HWs for the prevention and control of NCDs in the selected health block in a district is poor and must be assessed before rolling out NPCDCS in a new district. Special focus shall be given to supportive supervision, training, and management information system. |
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