Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Community Health Worker Programs has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with health-seeking behaviour. This growing interest reflects the recognition that community health worker programs does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Kano State.

Within the context of Kano State, this relationship carries particular significance. Organizations in this setting operate under a distinct combination of economic, regulatory, and market conditions that may amplify or dampen the effect of community health worker programs on health-seeking behaviour, making a context-specific inquiry both timely and necessary.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While community health worker programs is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on health-seeking behaviour within Kano State remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to community health worker programs are helping or hindering health-seeking behaviour — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Community Health Worker Programs on health-seeking behaviour in Kano State.
2. To assess the extent to which community health worker programs influences health-seeking behaviour within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with community health worker programs in relation to health-seeking behaviour.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing community health worker programs in order to improve health-seeking behaviour.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of community health worker programs on health-seeking behaviour in Kano State?
2. To what extent does community health worker programs influence health-seeking behaviour within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with community health worker programs in relation to health-seeking behaviour?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize community health worker programs in order to improve health-seeking behaviour?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around health-seeking behaviour. For managers and practitioners within Kano State, the study provides practical insight into how community health worker programs can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on public health by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this BSc study confines itself to Kano State, focusing specifically on how community health worker programs relates to health-seeking behaviour within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.