Table 3.

Nursing mothers’ response on access to services provided by PPMVs for childhood illness treatment

Parameter assessed	Frequency	Percent
Sources of advice/information on the treatment of coughs and colds and on the use of antibiotics
(a) Chemist/patent medicine vendor	52	31.3
(b) Health worker	61	36.7
(c) Neighbour	3	1.8
(d) Family members/relatives	44	26.5
Others	6	3.6
Total	166
What kind of advice do the PPMVs give on treatment of coughs and cold for your child?
Administer drugs including antibiotics	38	37.3
Cover the child with cloth	29	28.4
Use warm water	19	18.6
Go/refer to hospital	9	8.8
Come back if the sickness persists	7	6.9
Total	102
Sources where antibiotics used to treat childhood cough/acute respiratory infections are obtained
(a) PPMVs store	89	57.1
(b) Primary Health Centre	38	24.4
(c) General hospital	19	12.2
(d) Drug hawkers	1	0.6
(e) Others	9	5.8
Total	156
The last time child had childhood acute respiratory infections, how many hours after noticing did you commence the treatment
(a) Within 1 h	56	36.6
(b) Within 2 to 6 h	25	47.2
(c) Within 6 to 12 h	14	3.1
(d) Within 12 h to 1 day	29	19
(e) Within 1 day to 2 days	29	19
Total	153
How many times in a day did you administer the drug?
(a) Once	3	2
(b) Twice	61	40.4
(c) 3 times	83	55
(d) 4 times	1	0.7
(e) 5 times	3	2
Total	151
For how many days did you give the drug?
(a) 1 day	1	0.6
(b) 2 days	10	6.6
(c) 3 days	63	42
(d) 4 days	18	12
(e) 5 days	58	38.6
Total	150
What was the outcome of the treatment you gave your child?
(a) Got well	138	90.8
(b) Got a little better	14	9.2
Total	152
Did you have to take your child to a health facility, dispensary or chemist after treatment at home with the drugs?
Yes	51	34.5
No	97	65.5
Total	149
If Yes, why?
(a) Sickness persisted	15	29.4
(b) To be sure child is cured	35	68.6
(c) Sickness getting worse	1	2.0
Total	51
What other treatments do you use (including non-drug therapies) to treat childhood cough/acute respiratory infections?
Herbs/herbal mixture	58	46.4
Warm water	51	40.8
Balm	16	12.8
Total	125