Community workers contribution for data quality improvement in routine health information system: Live births number estimation by capture recapture method

Yolaine Glèlè Ahanhanzo, Alphonse Kpozèhouen, Noël Moussiliou Paraïso, Alain Levêque, Michel Makoutodé, Michèle Dramaix-Wilmet

Center of Research in Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Clinical Research, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
Environment and Health Department, Public Health Regional Institute, Ouidah, Benin.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, Public Health Regional Institute, Ouidah, Benin.
Health Promotion Department, Public Health Regional Institute, Ouidah, Benin.

DOI: 10.4236/ojepi.2014.41008                

Abstract

The lack of reliable vital statistics raises questions about the role of the health information system in acquiring such data, which are essential for planning health services and for the general management of the population’s needs. This study analyzed completeness of the vital data registration system and assessed the potential contribution of a community worker net-work to this system in rural Benin. The capture-recapture method was used in this interventional study to estimate the number of live births from three sources: the Routine Health Information System, the municipality, and community workers in two groups of villages. Log linear modelling was carried out with a Bayesian Information Criterion-weighted estimate of the number of live births. The exhaustiveness of the Routine Health Information System was improved by the contribution of the community workers from 29.3% to 42.5% in the first group, and from 61.7% to 77.5% in the second group. Estimating live births by the capture method in rural settings based on the contribution of community workers could be a more efficient alternative to censuses in acquiring reliable vital statistics.

Keywords

Community Health Workers; Health Information System; Vital Statistics; Capture-Recapture Method; Benin

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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