2019, Number 1
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Rev Cubana Med Trop 2019; 71 (1)
Sustainability of a Cuban community empowerment strategy for dengue fever prevention from the perspective of its key actors
Castro PMA, Pérez CD, Sánchez VL, Toledo RI, Lefèvre P, Van der Stuyft P
Language: Spanish
References: 26
Page: 1-18
PDF size: 171.02 Kb.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Systematic reviews about dengue fever prevention interventions show that
there is little evidence of the sustainability of participatory strategies. A Cuban community
empowerment strategy was implemented between the years 2004 and 2007. It consisted of
four components: organization, training, community work, and surveillance of risks and
behavior.
Objective: Evaluate the perception about sustainability of the community empowerment
strategy for dengue fever prevention from the perspective of the key actors of its
implementation.
Methods: A nested descriptive qualitative experimental study was conducted from April to
September 2011. Sustainability was understood as the continued use of the components of
the strategy, the conduct of activities more than 3 years after completion of the
implementation and evaluation stage, and external funding for the research. In-depth
interviews were held with key actors playing a significant role during the stages of design
and implementation. The information obtained was classified into inductive analysis
categories emerging from the reiterated reading of the data, and was then reclassified and
contrasted with operational sustainability indicators for health interventions.
Results: Interviewees identified a number of changes brought about by the strategy, e.g. an
increase in local capacities, personal/professional growth, new work styles and
organization at the municipal, people's council and constituency levels. The strategy was
perceived as sustainable (91 references), and new data were provided which enrich the
operational sustainability indicators used and recognize the benefits to health care and other
direct effects of the concept of empowerment underlying the proposal. The building of
capacities was evaluated by health actors as the strengthening of family doctors' and nurses'
competencies to lead participatory processes in the community.
Conclusions: The views contributed by actors enriched the analysis about the sustainability
of the strategy and recognized the importance of capacity building for empowerment based
on community education, as fostered during the implementation stage, for the maintenance
of results and their relationship to the effects reported by actors.
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