title: Effects of community health volunteers on infectious diseases of children under five in Volta Region, Ghana: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.
abstract: In many low- and middle-income countries, community health volunteers (CHVs) are employed as a key element of the public health system in rural areas with poor accessibility. However, few studies have assessed the effectiveness of CHVs in improving child health in sub-Saharan Africa through randomized controlled trials. The present study aims to measure the impact of health promotion and case management implemented by CHVs on the health of under-5 children in Ghana.
  
  
  
  This study presents the protocol of a cluster-randomized controlled trial assessing the impacts of CHVs, in which the community was used as the randomization unit. A phase-in design will be adopted, and the intervention arm will be implemented in the intervention arm during the first phase and in the control arm during the second phase. The key intervention is the deployment of CHVs, who provide health education, provide oral rehydration solutions and zinc tablets to children with diarrhea, and diagnose malaria using a thermometer and a rapid diagnostic test kit during home visits. The primary endpoints of the study are the prevalence of diarrhea and fever/malaria in children under 5 years of age, as well as the proportion of affected children receiving case management for diarrhea and malaria. The first and second rounds of household surveys to collect data will be conducted in the first phase, and the final round will be conducted during the second phase.
  
  
  
  With growing attention paid to the roles of CHVs as an essential part of the community health system in low-income countries, this study will contribute valuable information to the body of knowledge on the effects of CHVs.
  
  
  
  ISRCTN49236178 . (June 16th, 2015).
authors.affiliation: Korea International Cooperation Agency, 825 Daewangpangyo-ro, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeonji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Korea International Development Institute, 92 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Heunghee
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Korea International Cooperation Agency, 825 Daewangpangyo-ro, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yinseo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Korea International Cooperation Agency, 825 Daewangpangyo-ro, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jaeeun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Ketu South Municipal Health Directorate (Ghana Health Service), P.O. Box 126, Aflao, Volta Region, Ghana.
authors.forename: Joseph Kwami
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Degley
authors.affiliation: Devtplan Consult Limited, 212 Lame Dwaahe Street, Adenta-Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Abdul-Ghaffa
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.affiliation: Korea International Cooperation Agency, 825 Daewangpangyo-ro, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Gyuhong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Korea International Cooperation Agency, 825 Daewangpangyo-ro, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hoonsang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Korea International Cooperation Agency, 825 Daewangpangyo-ro, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea. jesusdongja@hanmail.net.|Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Disease, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT, London, UK. jesusdongja@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Seungman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cha
mesh_terms: D002662:Child Health Services; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014838:Volunteers
keywords: Child health; Community health systems; Community health workers; Diarrhea; Ghana; Malaria