The power of test kits: Inducing change from below

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The power of test kitsInducing change from below
Tobias Schüth
Kyrgyz-Swiss Health Reform Support Project
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The power of test kitsInducing change from below

• Objective
• Exclusive selling of iodised salt through local
  dealers
• Strategy
• Testing campaign of salt in all households with
  information on IDD
• Documentation of test results including the name
  of the dealer from whom salt was bought
• Contact with all local salt dealers demanding
  provision of iodised salt (consumer pressure)
• Provision of test kits to all dealers (winning
  dealers as allies)

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The power of test kitsInducing change from below

• The setting 2 areas, 2 variations of one
  strategy
• 1) Jumgal rayon, 40,000 people, remote
  mountainous region of Naryn oblast
• 2) Remaining 4 rayons of Naryn oblast and Naryn
  city with 210,000 people

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The power of test kitsInducing change from below

• Two variations of one strategy
• 1)Jumgal rayon
• Tests done by Village Health Committees and staff
  of Family Group Practices (FGP)
• Test kits given to all dealers (kits for iodate
  salt only)
• 2)Naryn oblast
• Tests done by Staff of Family Group Practices
• No test kits to dealers

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Testing campaign, Jumgal rayon
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Testing campaign, Jumgal rayon
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Testing campaign, Jumgal rayon
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Testing campaign, Jumgal rayon
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Testing campaign, Jumgal rayon
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Testing campaign, Jumgal rayon
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Testing campaign, Jumgal rayon
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Testing campaign, Naryn oblast
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Testing campaign, Naryn oblast
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Testing campaign, Naryn oblast
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Testing campaign, Naryn oblast
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Testing campaign, Naryn oblast
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Testing campaign, Naryn oblast
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Testing campaign, Naryn oblast
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The dealers and their salt
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The dealers and their salt
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The power of test kitsInducing change from below

• Costs of initial testing campaign and one
  monitoring round

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The power of test kitsInducing change from below

• Conclusions
• The combination of a salt testing campaign in
  households and of involvement of dealers can
  dramatically increase consumption of iodised salt
  in a very short time.
• Provision of test kits to dealers can influence
  the kind of salt people consume
• The intervention is very low cost

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The power of test kitsInducing change from below

• Extension of the campaign
• March 03 initial testing campaign in Jalalabad
  oblast (800,000 population)
• Further oblasts until June 03