Sustainability assessment final evaluation : Ogbomoso South child survival project, Oyo State, Nigeria

The evaluation, which was conducted by the grantee (World Vision Relief and Development), focused on the sustainability of the project, which sought to reduce infant and child morbidity and mortality due to diarrheal diseases, malnutrition, and malaria by supporting and strengthening the service delivery capability of community and local Ministry of Health (MOH) health systems. Results have been remarkable. The project organized the communities into 61 village health committees (VHC"s), and two representatives from each of these VHC"s formed a larger body, known as the Village Health Council, which advises the various VHC"s. Over 100 community members have been trained as volunteer village health workers/traditional birth attendants (VHW"s/TBA"s) and have remained active in CS activities in their various communities. A total of 61 village health posts were established and serve as centers for the treatment of malaria fever, training of mothers in oral rehydration therapy (ORT), growth monitoring, infant and child nutrition, and other CS activities. Community members have been highly mobilized and sensitized to assume greater responsibilities for their health. The project also helped to establish income-generating activities (IGA"s) for the various communities and for the VHW"s/TBA"s who have been constituted into a co-operative association. At the LGA level, the project supported the training of health personnel. All of these activities have promoted the sustainability of effective CS activities. The project"s competence in promoting sustainability is attested by the observable results of its activities. The extension that has been granted (until 9/95) will enable the project to further consolidate its achievements. The following lessons were learned with regard to the sustainability of CS projects. (1) Training VHW"s/TBA"s to keep simple and accurate records will ensure that community funds targeted for CS activities are not mismanaged. (2) The proper management of IGA"s should be linked with the well being of the person(s) responsible for them. (3) Any program which improves the financial capability of communities will equally improve their health, and positive results of new healthy practices are bound to be absorbed and sustained by the community members. (Author abstract, modified)