Global Health Institute Field Scholars

An Assessment of Integrated Neglected Tropical Disease Interventions in Plateau and Nasarawa States, Nigeria at the Community Level

Kathryn Welter, Rollins School of Public Health

Ms. Welter, a graduate student in the Hubert Department of Global Health at the Rollins School of Public Health, worked with The Carter Center on a project that provided information regarding the sustainability of community-based integrated interventions used to address tropical diseases such as schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, vitamin A deficiency, onchocerciasis, and malaria in two regions in Nigeria. In the past, multiple health interventions designed to address each of these diseases have been delivered in Nigerian communities. This approach is taxing on local resources, public health systems, and public health workers, which is why The Carter Center is working with Nigerian health authorities to integrate the numerous disease-specific health interventions.

The goal of Ms. Welter's project was to determined the community inputs used in the integrated approach and ascertain the perceptions and behaviors of community health workers and community members toward the integrated health interventions. Using the data collected during this project, The Carter Center will be able to judge more comprehensively the community participation and direction of communities in the sustainability of the integrated interventions. During her field experience, Ms. Welter was responsible for developing interview and focus group guides, developing guidelines for conducting them, and for ensuring the quality of the data collected by monitoring and supervising the conduct of the interviews and focus groups.

To read about Ms. Welter's experience from her perspective, click here.

Kathryn Welter (fourth from left) with colleagues in Nigeria during her field scholars program.

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