1. Defaulter Tracing Can be Successful: The experience of the Disease Surveillance Department with Prayer Camps in the Ningo Prampram District Angmortey I1, Bonful HA1, Dwamena E2, Okpodjah V2, Ofori Ansah G Ningo Prampram District Health Administration 2 Old Ningo Health Center

2. Presentation Outline Background Issues Description Lessons learnt
Next Steps

3. Background District characteristics Disease Surveillance Dept.
Pop:83,603
52% rural
36 prayer camps
Health facilities
8 Public and 7 Private
1 PC, 1HC, 6 CHPS compounds
HIV prevalence is 2.9 (2013) done by NMMRI
Disease Surveillance Dept.
collection of information on diseases and health events to facilitate prompt interventions towards the prevention and control of disease
52% rural- Easting side ( Ningo, Lekpongunor, Nyigbenya & Dawa and the Western side is Urban with few prayer camps ( Dawhenya)

4. Background 2
52% rural- Easting side ( Ningo, Lekpongunor, Nyigbenya & Dawa and the Western side is Urban with few prayer camps ( Dawhenya)

5. Issues
Community members perceive numerous prayer camps as alternate sources of health care
critical to include prayer camps in disease surveillance
ART Clinic started in March 2016
201 clients have been put on ART
By 2017, 24 (12%) had defaulted
DSD embarked on an active case search to identify and trace defaulters who are on anti TB drugs and ART
24 (12%) defaulted – talk about the WHO strategy, all client that tested + should be on trt for life

6. Description(1) DST visited 36 prayer camps
Logistics required ( 1 pick-up, 4 personnel, test kits, lunch)
10 working days
Only 1 prayer camp refused access to inmates
17 out of the 24 (70.8%) ART defaulters were traced and put on treatment.
62 clients were screened
6 tested positive
All 6 are on ART
4 personnel-dco, district HIV focal person, 1-ART, 1-model of hope

7. Description(2) Educated leaders of prayer camps
District data base on prayer camps updated-
Other Observations
Disease conditions seen ( HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, mental illness and maternal health issues e.t.c)
Prescribed drugs seen (ARVs, Anti TB, Anti Malaria and Antibiotics e.t.c)
Education-HIV, TB, mode of transmission, treatment, prevention and prayer camps updated from 25 – 36 camps

8. Scenes from prayer camps

10. 3rd photo, leader boldly displaying prescribe drugs including ARVs, Anti TB, Antibiotics e.t.c., for clients on ARVs are supposed to be on it life, this may even result in Multidrug resistance to ARVs. At this very camp, one of our client on ARVs ended up at this camp, all her prescribe drugs including ARVs were seized from her, denied access to health care and even the ART Nurses, she finally died at the camp.

11. Lessons learnt
Most prayer/spiritual leaders will cooperate and accept to work with the health facilities to provide holistic health to their clients.

12. Next steps
Forge closer relationship with prayer camp operators and their clients
Advocate for District Assembly to include prayer camp operations in their bye laws
Since new prayer camps are springing up in the district, the exercise should be conducted regularly

13. Acknowledgements District Assembly Ningo-Prampram DHMT
Old Ningo -Sub district Health Management Team
Model of Hope
Community Health Officers
Prayer camp leaders

14. THANK YOU