title: Comparison of mortality between villages with and without Primary Health Care workers in Upper River Division, The Gambia.
abstract: Health services utilization was analysed in a rural area of the The Gambia. In general, health workers were consulted frequently. However, verbal autopsies showed that children who died had rarely consulted health workers, particularly if they came from villages where such workers were not posted. Traditional healers were consulted frequently, independently of the presence of a village health worker. The relationship between cause specific mortality and the utilization of health services is discussed. Childhood mortality was similar in villages with or without a primary health care worker at the time of the study.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratories, Banjul, The Gambia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Francisco
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schellenberg
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Greenwood
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cham
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Greenwood
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D008880:Midwifery; D009026:Mortality; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012423:Rural Health