Objective Oriented Outcome Evaluation of Outpatient Therapeutics Program for Severe Acute Malnutrition of Children in Soro Woreda, Hadiya Zone, South Nation Nationalities of People Region,2016.

Abstract

Background: Outpatient Therapeutic feeding Program (OTP) brings the services for management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) closer to the community. It makes services available at decentralized treatment points within the primary health care settings, through the use of ready-touse therapeutic foods. Evaluation Objective: To evaluate if the Intended objectives of the outpatient therapeutic program were in line with implemented objectives in Hadiya zone soro woreda in 2016 Methods and Materials: Cross sectional study design was carried with a method of both quantitative and qualitative data in Hadiya zone soro woreda at selected health posts. The evaluation dimensions were availability, compliance, and effectiveness. Data collection method were resource inventory, key informants interview, direct observation of severe acute malnutrition management and card reviews which done from March/07/2015 to March 31 /2015 . Qualitative data were collected with structured questionnaire and entered in to epi-enfo and exported to SPSS version-20 for further analysis Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used. Quantitative data was analyzed manually by considering thematic area. Results:-Among 15 health posts which were included in this study regarding to availability dimension 100% health posts had trained health extension workers. Ready used therapeutic food was available with no stock out for the last six months about 86.7% and all health posts have functional thermometer, Mid-upper arm circumference tape and outpatient therapeutic program cards. However routine drugs and accessibility of water were critical issue in all HPs. In the case of compliance from those observed 60 cases Mid-upper arm circumference was not measured for 20 (44.5%).Clinical outcome for total 402 reviewed cards were 285(70.9%) for cured, death 7 (1.7%), defaulter 75 (18.7%), non-responder 19(4.7%) and unknown 16 (4%). The average weight gain in gram per kilogram per day of children was 4.26 with standard deviation of 2.72. In most of the health posts routine supportive supervision was not conducted by focusing of program. Some of the available drugs were not distributed timely by considering case load in health posts. Conclusion:- Generally availability of resources were not as the intended of the woreda plan, compliance of health extension workers of the service provision was fair and an effectiveness of the intervention was in good condition as woreda plan, and as well as national OTP guideline.