ArticleParasites & vectors2016
A mixed methods approach to evaluating community drug distributor performance in the control of neglected tropical diseases.
Article in Parasites & vectors, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- Lessons Learned in Conducting Mass Drug Administration for Schistosomiasis Control and Measuring Coverage in an Operational Research Setting.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2020Pooled it
- Community drug distributors for mass drug administration in neglected tropical disease programmes: systematic review and analysis of policy documents.Journal of global health · 2019Pooled it
- Mass drug administration for soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis in selected districts of Rwanda: Coverage, implementation factors, and household water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Challenges and opportunities of human resource management activities for neglected tropical diseases in Liberia.SSM - health systems · 2025Article
- Psychological health and motivational factors of health workers and community volunteers in preventive chemotherapy programs for neglected tropical diseases control in Ekiti State, Nigeria.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Knowledge of local snakes, first-aid and prevention of snakebites among community health workers and community members in rural Malawi: A cross-sectional study.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2025Article
- Economic evaluations of community health worker programs focussed on neglected tropical diseases in low- and middle-income countries (2015-2024): A scoping literature review.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Barriers and facilitators to programmatic mass drug administration in persistent schistosomiasis hotspot communities: An ethnographic study along Lake Albert, midwestern Uganda.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Article
- The short-term impact ofProceedings. Biological sciences · 2024Article
- Community preferred drug delivery approaches for pilot roll-out of a potential novel paediatric schistosomiasis treatment option in two endemic counties of Kenya: A mixed methods study.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Perceptions and acceptability of co-administered albendazole, ivermectin and azithromycin mass drug administration, among the health workforce and recipient communities in Ethiopia.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2023Article
- Perceptions of the roles, impact, challenges and needs of community drug distributors in the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases in difficult-to-access communities in Ghana.BMC infectious diseases · 2023Article
- Knowledge and participation in mass drug administration against lymphatic filariasis and soil-transmitted helminth infections among the community members in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2023Article
- Job satisfaction among community drug distributors in the Mass Drug Administration programme in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.International health · 2023Article
- Perceptions of the roles, impact, challenges and needs of community drug distributors in the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases in difficult-to-access communities in Ghana.Research square · 2023Article
- Leveraging resources and the impact of neglected tropical disease elimination programmes: getting (much) more than what you pay for.International health · 2022Article
- A mixed-methods exploration into the resilience of community drug distributors conducting mass drug administration for preventive chemotherapy of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis in Côte d'Ivoire and Uganda.PLOS global public health · 2022Article
- Incorporating qualitative research methods into the monitoring and evaluation of neglected tropical disease programmes: a scoping literature review.International health · 2021Article
- Factors influencing mass drug administration adherence and community drug distributor opportunity costs in Liberia: a mixed-methods approach.Parasites & vectors · 2021Article
- Community-directed distributors-The "foot soldiers" in the fight to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTrusted literate, or semi-literate, community drug distributors (CDDs) are the primary implementers in integrated preventive chemotherapy (IPC) programmes for Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) control. The CDDs are responsible for safely distributing drugs and for galvanising communities to repeatedly, often over many years, receive annual treatment, create and update treatment registers, monitor for side-effects and compile treatment coverage reports. These individuals are 'volunteers' for the programmes and do not receive remuneration for their annual work commitment.
methodsA mixed methods approach, which included pictorial diaries to prospectively record CDD use of time, structured interviews and focus group discussions, was used to triangulate data on how 58 CDDs allocated their time towards their routine family activities and to NTD Programme activities in Uganda. The opportunity costs of CDD time were valued, performance assessed by determining the relationship between time and programme coverage, and CDD motivation for participating in the programme was explored.
resultsKey findings showed approximately 2.5 working weeks (range 0.6-11.4 working weeks) were spent on NTD Programme activities per year. The amount of time on NTD control activities significantly increased between the one and three deliveries that were required within an IPC campaign. CDD time spent on NTD Programme activities significantly reduced time available for subsistence and income generating engagements. As CDDs took more time to complete NTD Programme activities, their treatment performance, in terms of validated coverage, significantly decreased. Motivation for the programme was reported as low and CDDs felt undervalued.
conclusionsCDDs contribute a considerable amount of opportunity cost to the overall economic cost of the NTD Programme in Uganda due to the commitment of their time. Nevertheless, programme coverage of at least 75 %, as required by the World Health Organisation, is not being achieved and vulnerable individuals may not have access to treatment as a consequence of sub-optimal performance by the CDDs due to workload and programmatic factors.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.