Abstract

This study assesses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of health and nutrition services in rural Ethiopia using a phone survey. This three-wave survey will illuminate disruptions to healthcare delivery and adoption of precautionary health behaviors in 251 sub-districts. Researchers seek to uncover how the work of Health Extension Workers (HEWs) has changed during the pandemic; specifically, the extent to which these frontline health providers have been unable to conduct their usual duties or have needed to redirect efforts from previous services such as antenatal, postnatal care, and nutrition messaging to COVID-related activities. In August 2019, IFPRI designed and implemented an in-person survey aimed at understanding the delivery of health and nutrition services by HEWs in four regions of rural Ethiopia. Two-hundred and fifty-six HEWs took part in the survey; 97 per cent provided a phone number. Researchers conducted the first round of follow-up phone interviews in May 2020 and achieved a response rate of 88 per cent, yielding a sample of 220 HEWs. The HEWs will be interviewed again in August and October 2020, to track changes in health service delivery during the pandemic.

Questionnaire Description

Purpose is to measure changes in health worker tasks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Respondent Population Characteristics

Adults, Rural only, Health care workers

Implementing Organization

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Project Data Collection Mode

Researchers (*corresponding author)

Guush Berhane, Daniel O. Gilligan*, Kalle Hirvonen, John Hoddinott, Naureen Karachiwalla

Partners

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Questionnaire File Type

Reader-friendly survey instrument

Questionnaire Language(s)

Amharic, English

Questionnaire Stage

Baseline Completed