Measuring quality of facility-based ITN distribution in Ghana.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Malaria Control
• Health Systems Strengthening

Background:

• Continuous distribution channels, like antenatal care and immunization visits, are vital for delivering malaria interventions such as insecticide-treated nets (ITNs).
• Facility-based and provider-based checklists are employed during supportive supervision to assess the quality of health services.
• This study examines ITN distribution within Ghanaian health facilities to inform quality measurement and monitoring strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of different quality improvement approaches for malaria services in Ghana.
• To identify areas for improvement in the logistics and data management of ITN distribution.
• To provide insights into measuring and monitoring the quality of facility-based ITN distribution.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of selected indicators across various quality improvement approaches for malaria services.
• Assessment of service data management, logistics data management, and observation of service provision (ITN issuance, education).
• Utilized binary (Yes/No) and Likert scales to measure service quality indicators.

Main Results:

• Most data reported to the national Health Management Information System (HMIS) was found to be accurate.
• Logistics data management consistently scored below average across facility stores, antenatal care, and immunization services.
• Despite differing supervision approaches, nearly all eligible clients received ITNs, with accurate and timely data recording; logistics posed the primary challenge.

Conclusions:

• Supervision approaches offer valuable insights into the quality of facility-based ITN distribution.
• Ghana should sustain supportive supervision, enhance data reporting, and increase supervision frequency and facility coverage.
• Standardized global indicators and approaches are needed for measuring facility-based ITN distribution quality, with future research exploring supervision's impact and scalability.