Background: Maternal and Child Health (MCH) is one of the main focus areas of the Health Extension Program
(HEP). Therefore, assessing the status of MCH service utilization of families benefiting from the HEP is critical to inform
progress of the program and future directions.
Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the status of desired MCH practices and service utilization of
families benefiting from the HEP in SNNPR state of Ethiopia.
Method: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted from December 2010 to June 2011 in Wolayta and
Kembata Tembaro Zones of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State of Ethiopia. Comparison of
selected variables that show MCH service utilization was made between a randomly selected 690 model families and
686 non-model families. Qualitative data were collected from the two selected zones to complement the findings of
the quantitative data. The qualitative data was collected from a purposively selected group of women and men among
model families.
Descriptive and analytics statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data using STATA version 10 while the
qualitative data were analysed using Open Code version 3.6.2.0.
Results: The study showed that ITN ownership and utilization by model families was 66.9% and 58.4% as
compared to 53.3% and 42.6% by non-model families respectively (p<0.01). Similarly, ever and current use of family
planning was 45.4% and 32.3% as compared to 33.6% and 18.6% among model and non-model families respectively
(p<0.001). Nearly half (47.3%) of the women in model families had ever tested for HIV while 35.2% of the women
in non-model families did the same (P<0.01). Forty two point three Percent (42.3%) of husbands in model families
also tested for HIV while only 35.8% of their counterparts in non-model families did the same (p<0.01). There was no
significant difference in the proportion of households with child immunization and feeding practices between model
and non-model families.
Conclusion: Generally, model families performed better than non-model families. The government’s decision
of making all households models through the implementation of the health development army is a timely decision.
Regular follow up of model families after graduation help further improve outcome and sustain the gains.