Abstract:
Background: Disease surveillance and notification is an effective strategy for the prevention
and control of diseases most especially epidemic prone diseases. Even though strong
surveillance system relies on good disease surveillance notification knowledge of health
workers, evidence on diseases surveillance notification knowledge and associated factors
among health care workers in West Hararghe Zone is limited.
Objective: To assess level of disease surveillance notification knowledge and associated
factors among health workers at government health facilities in West Hararghe Zone, Eastern
Ethiopia, July, 01-30, 2021.
Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 633 sample sizes
were selected using stratified random sampling method. Data collected using a standard
structured and self-administered questionnaire were cleaned, coded, and entered into Epi-info
version 3.1., and transferred into SPSS version 24 for further statistical analysis. All covariates
that are significant at p-value < 0.25 in bivariate analysis were considered for multivariate
analysis to control all possible confounders. The level of statistical significance was declared at
p-value less than 0.05.
Results: This study revealed that 45.88% (95% CI: 42% - 50%) of health workers had good
disease notification knowledge. Training on public health emergency management
(AOR=2.68, 95% CI: 1.69 – 4.22), regular supportive supervision (AOR=2.30, 95% CI:
1.43–3.70) and regular feedback (AOR=1.71, 95% CI: 1.06–2.77) were factors statistically
associated with good disease notification knowledge.
Conclusion: This study concluded that less than half of the health workers in government
health facilities in West hararghe zone had good disease notification knowledge. Training on
public health emergence management, supportive supervision and regular feedback were
factors statistically associated with good disease notification knowledge. Therefore,
strengthening training on Public Health Emergence Management, conducting supportive
supervision and regular feedback for health workers are highly recommended to strengthen
disease notification knowledge.
