Health Communication in Ethiopian A Case Study of Tackling Trachoma in the Amhara Region
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Date
2006-08
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The problem of trachoma is massive in Ethiopia. The national blindness prevalence is
estimated to be 1.25% and more than 900,000 people are believed to be blind. Disease
transmission occurs primarily between children and the women who care for them. (Carter
Center 2005, p.1). One reason aggravating the situation is poor health communication
(Health Education Center 2005, p.8). This study was designed to assess the health
communication strategies used in tackling trachoma and their appropriateness in the
Amhara Region (West Gojam Zone, Yilmanadensa Woreda). Other than secondary data,
the research was used both qualitative and quantitative methods so that the data support each
other. The quantitative method followed procedures of selecting four Kebeles from the Woreda
for their accessibility and using a systematic random sampling to distinguish 396 adult
respondents from those Kebeles. Additionally, 8 target community members and 10 experts
as well as 16 in-school children of 7 – 11 years of age were interviewed. In addition, two focus
group discussions and personal observation were employed. Finally, appropriate quantitative
and qualitative research methodologies were used to analyze the data. This study took place
between April and July 2006.
The entire community is Orthodox Christian and religious leaders were the most influencing
partie. Coffee gathering, church, fetching water and firewood and meeting were found to be
useful indigenous media. Concerning the trachoma program, it used mass media, IEC
materials and interpersonal communication methods. Effort was also made to reach different
audience groups separately. However, there seemed to be a wide gap between development
communicators and beneficiaries. Message inconsistency, inefficient and inadequate
communicators and discord with local culture were among the various failures observed in the
communication strategy. Therefore, following the social marketing theory-prior study on
media habit, needs, culture and worldview of the audience as well as community and
professional input should be given due emphasis in the design of trachoma communication
strategy to the specific community. Besides addressing other environmental and structural
problems is found to be equally important. This study was conducted only in four rural
Kebeles, it is impossible to reach generalization. For this reason, further study is
recommended.
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Health Communication in Ethiopian