Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) Somalia 2016
Country
Name
Country code
Somalia
SOM
Study type
Service Availability and Readiness Assessment [HFA/SARA]
Abstract
The Somali Health Authorities in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), United National Population Fund (UNFPA), and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) implemented Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) in 2016. The 2016 Somali SARA survey was carried out in order to generate critical information on selected indicators for evidence-based decision making and tracking and monitoring progress of Health Sector Strategic Plans (HSSP) and Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) activities in health facilities.
A census of all health facilities was conducted in 799 operational and accessible facilities.
This report covers three categories of indicators:
1. Service availability
• Health infrastructure
• Health workforce
• Service utilization
2. General service readiness
• Basic amenities
• Basic equipment
• Standard precautions for prevention of infections
• Diagnostic capacity
• Essential medicines
• Supply chain
3. Service specific availability and readiness
• Maternal, neonatal, and child health
• HIV/AIDS
• Sexually transmitted infections (STI)
• Tuberculosis
• Malaria
• Diabetes
• Basic surgical services
• Comprehensive surgical services
• Diagnostic services
Kind of Data
Sample survey data [ssd]
Unit of Analysis
Health facilities
Version
Version Description
vFINAL: Summary report
Version Date
2016-12-31
Scope
Notes
The SARA survey is designed to generate a set of core indicators on key inputs and outputs of the health system, which can be used to measure progress in health system strengthening over time. The SARA focuses on three main areas: service availability, general service readiness and service-specific readiness.
A basic approach to SARA is to collect data that are comparable both across countries and within countries (i.e. across regions and/or districts) using a standard core questionnaire developed by WHO in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Usually, a country adopts the standard core questionnaire with adaptations to certain elements such as types of facilities, managing authority of facilities, national guidelines for services, staffing categories and national policies for medicines (e.g. for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS). The SARA survey requires visits to health facilities with data collection based on key informant interviews and observation of key items. The survey can either be carried out as a sample or a census; the choice between these methodologies will depend on a number of elements including the country's resources, the objectives of the survey and the availability of a master facility list (MFL).
Coverage
Geographic Coverage
Nationally representative as well as at zonal and regional levels
Universe
The survey covered 799 health facilities across the country
Producers and sponsors
Primary investigators
Name
Somali Health Authorities
Producers
Name
Role
World Health Organization
Technical assistance
Sampling
Sampling Procedure
A comprehensive Master Facility List (MFL) was used to identify a total of 1074 facilities. Of those, 106 facilities were found to be non-operational and 169 were non-accessible. The final census includes a total of 799 operational and accessible facilities categorized by zone and region.
Data Collection
Dates of Data Collection
Start
End
2016-08-31
2016-04-05
Data Collection Mode
Face-to-face [f2f]
Data Collection Notes
A series of trainings were conducted starting with a training of trainers, a training for data managers, training for data collectors and supervisors. A total 74 data collectors and 37 supervisors were trained. 37 teams were formed for data collection. Each team consisted of a team supervisor and two data collectors.
Questionnaires
Questionnaires
The SARA core questionnaires overview:
Section 1: Cover page
Section 2: Staffing
Section 3: Inpatient and observation beds
Section 4: Infrastructure
Section 5: Available services
Section 6: Diagnostics
Section 7: Medicines and commodities
Section 8: Interviewers observations.
The questionnaires were adapted to the Somali context. All questionnaires were translated into Somali language.
Data Processing
Data Editing
At the end of data collection, all data was reviewed for correctness, completeness, and consistency of key fields before the dataset was finalized for analysis. The dataset was fully finalized in October 2016.