Dissemination of research results

The research results need to be disseminated to sensitize policy makers about the present situation in relation to injection use and practices. Action to be taken will include the following:

- A summary report will be developed to serve as a background for discussion of interventions.

- National level meetings with key policy makers will be held to discuss interventions.

- District level meetings (starting with a few selected districts) will be held with district health teams to plan interventions.

Training and education

Training and education should be undertaken at two levels: among providers and users. The providers’ training and education programme should include the following components:

- There should be local training sessions for all levels of government health workers and for all workers in registered private facilities.

- Simple pamphlets on hygiene procedures and appropriate use of injections should be produced and distributed to all health workers.

- Supervision procedures should be developed at the district level and for each facility.

- Issues related to the personal ownership of needles and syringes and their sterilization should be formally discussed at the district level and guidelines should be developed.

A public training and education programme aimed at the injection users should focus on clean injections and the appropriate use of the most popular injections such as PPF and chloroquine.

Intervention strategy

Interventions for clean injection use are planned to start with a few health centres in one district in which research was undertaken. Those selected will be ones that are well functioning and where cost-sharing is benefiting the staff Before implementation of the programme, we should insure that the health centre has an adequate supply of injecting equipment. For the proper implementation of the programme we intend to work hand in hand with the health management committees and the local resistance councils. The programme will be designed in such a manner that injection practices are ritualized at the provider facilities. Local people should be given a chance to witness the entire sterilization procedure and where possible participate. Here, we intend to work with women’s groups. The idea is that to attach people to institutional things, they should be personally involved. We also intend to involve women’s groups in plays developed under the theme ‘clean injections’. These plays should portray the actual social interactions, emphasize the dangers involved and should carry a message on ‘safe injections’.