Capacity of community-based organisations to disseminate sleeping sickness information.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the capacity of established community based organisations (CBOs) to disseminate information on sleeping sickness control.

DESIGN

Participatory interview process administered to randomly selected CBOs in a tsetse and trypanosomosis endemic area.

SETTING

Busia district, Western, Kenya.

RESULTS

Community based organisations especially women groups and farmer field schools that are internally initiated have the potential to contribute greatly to sustainable sleeping sickness dissemination strategies. The study indicated a mean reach of between 400-600 persons per day, but with a range of up to 1000 persons per day.

CONCLUSION

Internally initiated women groups may be the best options for targeting health education programmes with the aim of ensuring sustained community participation.