# Assessing informal healthcare providers' knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of malaria and diarrhea: evidence from urban informal settlements in Southeast Nigeria

## TL;DR

This study examines the knowledge of informal healthcare providers in Nigeria on treating malaria and diarrhea, finding that training and education improve their effectiveness.

## Contribution

The study provides evidence on how training and education can enhance the quality of care provided by informal healthcare providers in urban slums.

## Key findings

- Private medicine vendors and traditional birth attendants showed higher knowledge of treating malaria and diarrhea.
- Formal education and on-the-job training significantly improved knowledge of treatment.
- Overall knowledge scores for malaria and diarrhea were low among most informal healthcare providers.

## Abstract

Despite the availability of effective interventions, malaria and diarrhea continue to be leading causes of disease burden in Nigeria. Informal healthcare providers (IHPs) account for a significant proportion of health service providers in urban slums and may pose a challenge to service quality if they are untrained and unregulated. This study assessed IHPs' knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment of malaria and diarrhea.

A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in eight urban informal settlements (slums) in southeast Nigeria. Data were collected from 235 informal health providers using an interviewer-administered questionnaire.

The mean overall knowledge scores for malaria and diarrhea were 5.2 (95% CI: 4.3–6.1) and 5.4 (95% CI: 4.1–6.7), respectively, among the different IHPs. However, private medicine vendors (PMVs) and traditional birth attendants (TBAs) showed higher knowledge of treating malaria and diarrhea. Having more than 8 years of formal education and receiving on-the-job training had a statistically significant effect on adequate knowledge of malaria and diarrhea treatment.

Institutionalizing and strengthening service delivery through appropriate training and support for IHPs can improve the quality of health service delivery in urban slums.