SPARK
A clustered randomised trial of the WHO Caregiver Skills Training to SuPport African communities to increase the Resilience and mental health of Kids with developmental disabilities and their caregivers in Kenya and Ethiopia (SPARK)
Background:
In sub-Saharan Africa, families with children with developmental disabilities (DD) experience severe challenges, including social isolation, stigma, and poverty. Most children with DD remain unidentified and receive no formal support. The non-specialist led Caregiver Skills Training (CST) programme for caregivers of children with DD, developed by the World Health Organization, aims to address this gap. In separate pilot studies in Ethiopia and Kenya our team found the CST to be acceptable to caregivers and facilitators and feasible to implement. However, the effectiveness of the programme remains to be established.
Objectives:
Evaluate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of the CST in improving wellbeing and mental health of Ethiopian and Kenyan children with DD and their caregivers. This is the first trial globally to assess the effectiveness of the CST administered by non-specialist facilitators.
Expected Outcome:
This project will generate evidence on the effectiveness of the nonspecialist delivered CST in four low-resource contexts. The findings can inform development and scale-up of support services for families with children with DD across Africa and other resource-constrained contexts.
Funding:
The UK National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)