Objectives
To use ECD as outreach posts to increase the coverage of routine delivery of VAS for children 12 to 59 months of age in Bungoma North sub-county, Kenya
Methods
280 ECD were targeted to serve as outreach posts for delivery of routine VAS every six months to 30,420 children 12 to 59 months of age between January and December 2015 in Bungoma North sub-county. Each ECD centre was visited once every six months. Activities conducted included planning, community mapping, and social mobilization using community health volunteers, religious leaders and community dialogues, VAS distribution, supportive supervision and data management and reporting. Coverage was measured using administrative data reported by health facilities into the national DHIS2 web platform
Results
In 2014, only 9.4% of children 12 to 59 months received VAS twice a year in health facilities and 15% of them received it in 2015. The ECD approach in 2015 reached 19,165 children (63%) with VAS during the first semester and 16,585 children (54%) during the second semester. Overall, the ECD outreach approach contributed to increased routine VAS coverage from 9.4% in 2014 to 78% in 2015 (15% routine + 63% ECD)
Conclusions
Use of ECD can contribute to increased coverage of routine child services. Support to county health management teams is required to design effective social mobilization and implementation strategy as the main determinants of high coverage of this approach
