BASIC INFO - AND SAMPLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

TARGETING - HSA INTERVIEWS

COMMON HUMAN DISEASES

Disease Means of spreading Symptom Prevention Treatment
VECTOR TRANSMITTED DISEASES
1. MALARIA Plasmodium is carried  Dry skin  Spray rooms and  Use drugs
(MALUNGO) from one person to  Lapid pulse houses with such as
another by Anopheles  Little urine which insecticide such quinine,
mosquito is deeply coloured as doom chloroquine,
 The patient  Spray oil on all paludrine and
becomes anemic stagnant water fansider or
 General body pain  Drain all novidar SP.
such as headache stagnant water
 Cut all tall
grasses around
home
 Always sleep
under treated
mosquito nets
2. SLEEPING A blood – sucking vector  Fever  Clear vegetation  Injection of
SICKNESS called tsetse fly passes the  Severe headache around river drug during
(KUGONAGONA) trypanosome from one  Swollen lymph banks and the early stage
person to another nodes lakeshores (it kills the
 Emaciation protozoa in
 Frequent sleeping the
bloodstream)
3. ELEPHANTIASIS Anopheles and culex  Affected organs  Use the methods 
(MATCHINJILI) mosquito passes the becomes thick and used to prevent
filarial worm from one hard malaria (they all
person to another deals with mosq.
4. THE JIGGER Flea found in dirty floors  Swelling under  Keep floors  Extract the
(MATEKENYA) the skin with clean flea from the
itches (scratching  Wear shoes skin with
can cause another constantly to sterilized
infection) prevent the needle
female flea from  Treat the cut
attacking the immediately
skin with an
antiseptic and
bandage to
prevent any
infection
RESPIRATORY DISEASES
5. PNEUMONIA Inhaling contaminated air  Headache  Avoid  Use
(CHIBAYO) coughed or exhaled by  Chest pain overcrowding antibiotics
infected person spread the  Coughing  Live in well such as
disease  Fever ventilated homes erythromycin,
penicillin …
6. COMMON COLD inhaling viruses coughed  Sore throat  Avoid  No effective
or sneezed from infected  Coughing overcrowding drug (different
people (virus remain for 3  Sneezing and poorly viruses are
hours on the skin and can  Running nose ventilated place involved )
be spread through contact)
7. TUBERCULOSIS Inhaling contaminated air  Fatique  All uninfected  Can be treated
(TB) from an infected person  Fever persons should using
 Weight loss medicine
Disease Means of spreading Symptom Prevention Treatment
through coughing,  Coughing receive BCG (Ethambutal,
singing, or sneezing  Chest pain vaccine rifampicin,
 Avoid pyrazinamide
overcrowded
environment
 Isolate the
patient
8. WHOOPING Direct contact with  Violent coughing  Children should  Use medicine
COUGH discharges from (which worsen at be receive a DPT such as
respiratory mucus form night) vaccine ampicillin and
infected person  Vomiting (Diphtheria amoxicillin
toxoid )
DIARRHOEAL DISEASES
9. CHOLERA Caused by bacteria (vribro  Watery stools  Isolate the
- drinking untreated water (looks like rice infected patient
contaminated by faeces water)  Construction of
- housefly also transmit  Severe diarrhea toilet
the bacteria form faeces to  Nausea  Boiling water
food  Abnormal pain and treating
 Acute thirst using chlorine
 Muscle cramp  Educational and
awareness
campaign
10. DYSENTERY By ingesting  Diarrhea   Giving oral
contaminated food and  Fever rehydration
drinks  Nausea  Use
 Vomiting antibiotics
 Stool may contain
blood, mucus and
pus
11. TYPHOID Unhygienic handling of  Fever  Isolate the
food with salmonella  Headache patient
typhi  Abdominal pain  Water treatment
 Diarrhea  Proper sewage
treatment
 Clearing the
surrounding
areas
SKIN DISEASE
12. RINGWORM OF Direct contact with the  Red patch on the  Ensure personal  Apply
THE BODY infected person or inside of the cleanliness ointment on
(CHIPELE) infected materials such as thighs, arm, pits,  Avoid contact the affected
cloth at the back, belly with infected area
and face person  Apply
antiseptics
such as
alcohol on the
affected area
13. ATHLETE’S Direct or indirect contact  Blister or splitting  Ensure personal  Apply
FOOT with skin lesions of of skin in between cleanliness ointment in
infected persons or toes  Avoid contact between the
contaminated floor  Itching in between with infected toes
toes person  Apply
antiseptic, e.g.
alcohol in
between toes
Disease Means of spreading Symptom Prevention Treatment
 Keep the
affected area
clean
DISEASES AFFECTING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
14. POLIOMYELITIS Through, feaces, nose and  Fever  Vaccinate
(POLIO) throat secretion  Headache children three
 Neck stiffness times during
 Muscle pain their first year of
 Flaccid paralysis life
 Withered legs
15. TETANUS Spread through a wound  Uncontrollable  Give
(KAFUMBATA) (caused by anaerobic contraction of  Vaccine children antitetanus
bacterium “clostridium muscles (tetanus) with DPT serum to the
tatani”)  Death vaccine child
 Avoid cut with
dirty objects
 Cut the
umbilical cord of
the a new-born
child with a
clean knife
16. MENINGITIS Direct contact including Convulsion in the  Reduce direct  Use antibiotic
(OUMITSA respiratory droplets from child contact and such as benzyl
KHOSI) nose and throat of the  Headache exposure to penicillin,
infected person  Neck stiffness droplet infection ampicillin…
 Cough  Avoid
 Vomiting overcrowding
 Fever  Isolate
17. STROKE Caused due to blockage of  Inability to speak  Avoid 
arteries in the brain  Inability to see alcoholism
 Difficult in  Avoid smoking
movement  Avoid injuries
 Death on the head
Deficiency Disease
18. RICKETS Lack of vitamin D in the  Bow leggedness  Frequent 
(MATEWE) body (bending of legs) exposure to
or Knock-knees sunlight
 Soft teeth  Eat food rich in
vitamin
 Include fruits in
the diet
19. KWASHIORKOR  Caused by lack of  Stunted growth  Provide foods 
proteins  Hair changes rich in proteins
 Occurs in children texture becomes to children
 Occurs when a child is short  Give children
stopped from breast  Protruding foods rich in
feeding before the age stomach proteins as
of 6 months and is not  Dry skin supplement to
given foods which  breast feeding
contains proteins
20. SCURVY Lack of vitamin C in the  Teeth become  Eating foods that 
(CHISEYEYE) body loose contains vitamin
 Gum easily bleed C
 Wounds take long
to heal
 Swollen and
painful joints
Disease Means of spreading Symptom Prevention Treatment
 Weak blood
capillary
21. MARASMUS Caused by lack of enough  Loss of weight  Provide enough
quantities of balanced diet  Shrunken body food with
parts balanced diet
 Thin arm and legs
 Less resistance to
diseases
22. ANEMIA Caused by lack of iron in  
the diet
23. GOITER Caused by lack of iodine  Enlargement of  Provide iodine in
in the diet the thyroid glands the diet by using
around the neck iodine salt
 Weight gain
 Constipation
24. POOR BLOOD Caused by lack of vitamin  Prolonged  Provide food
CLOTTING K bleeding in case rich in vitamin K
of an injury (vegetable, liver,
egg-york)
25. VITAMIN B2 Lack of vitamin B2 
Stunted growth  Provide food
DEFICIENCY 
Sores on lips and rich in vitamin
tongue B2 (green
 Growth of blood vegetables, milk
vessels in the and liver
cornea of the eye
and becomes
weak
26. BERIBERI Caused by insufficient  Lack of appetite  Provide foods
Vitamin B in the diet  Weakness of the rich in vitamin B
limbs (liver, beans and
 Shrinking and meat)
weakening of
muscles
 Mental
disturbance
27. NIGHT Caused by lack of vitamin  Stunted growth  Provide foods
BLINDNESS A in the diet  Drying of the skin reach in vitamin
in the cornea of A (carrot, liver,
the eyes fish)
 Failure to see in
the dim light
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STIs)
28. HIV/AIDS  Sexual intercourse  Sudden loss of  Avoid sharing  The use of
with the infected weight skin piecing ARV
personal  Severe cough instruments
 Blood transfusion  Severe diarrhea  Abstain from sex
using infected blood (more than before marriage
 Sharing of skin piecing month)  Having protected
instruments  Attack by sex using
 Mother to child during opportunistic condom
pregnancy, birth or diseases such as  Screaming blood
breast feeding TB/pneumonia for HIV before
transfusion
29. SYPHILIS  Sexual intercourse  Painful sore  Use all measures 
(CHINDOKO) with infected person appear on the above
 At birth if the mother cervix or top of
is affected penis
Disease Means of spreading Symptom Prevention Treatment
 Rashes appear on
skin
 Falling of hair
 Mild fever
 Enlarged lymph
nodes
30. GENITAL  This is caused by  Bumps – like  Use all the 
WARTS Human Palilloma growths on the measures above
Virus (HPV) genital and anus
 Mode is sexual  Itching around
intercourse genital
 Breading may
occur
31. CANDIDIASIS  Caused by fungi  White patches  Use all the  Use
 Mode of transmition is  Itching of the measures above antibiotics
through sexual vagina
intercourse and kissing  Vagina discharge
32. HEPATITIS B  This is caused by  Production of  Use all measures  Use drugs
hepatitis virus duck urine above
 Through blood  Yellow - orange
transfusion with the faeces
infected person  Pain in the
 Sexual intercourse stomach
 Fever, vomiting,
nausea and
diarrhea
33. GONORRHEA  Sexual intercourse  Pain in lower  Use all measures 
(CHINZONONO) with infected person abdomen above
 At birth if the mother  Menstrual
is affected problem
 Discharge of pus
from vegina
 Yellowing
discharge from
urethra
 Pain while
passing urine
ABOUT CANCER
34. CANCER CAUSE EXAMPLES FACTORS PREVENTI
ON
Caused when body cells  Lung cancer  Smoking  Avoid
are damage that result to  Breast cancer  Over exposure to smoking
abnormal cell division  Colon cancer radiation  Avoid over
Other causes include  Cervic cancer  Excess alcohol exposure to
 Radiation radiation
 Heredity  Male
 Infections by circumcision
micro-organisms
e.g. oncovirus
 Diet
 Disease Means of spreading Symptom Prevention Treatment

CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS
METHOD HOW IT WORKS ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGES
35. Pill One pill is taken every  Is very effective  Have side effects
day(contains oestrogen, a method
hormone similar to those
when a woman is
pregnant and no more ova
released)
36. Sterlization In man the vass differentia  Is an extreme sure  Tubes cannot be re-opened if the
are cut or tied and in method of couple later decide to have children
woman a oviduct are cut contraceptive
or tied (no sperm/ova)
37. Depo (vaccine)  
38. Condoms It prevent the sperm from   Is not 100% safe (condoms can break
reaching the vagina during sexual intercourse)
39. Norplant  Is very effective  Have side effects
method
 It takes a number
of years before
the next treatment
40. Rhythm The woman keeps a  Have no side  Is not 100% safe as it the cycle may
careful record of her effects change
menstrual cycle
41. Loop and coil   Have the side effects

IMMNUNISATION STAGES /VACCINATING CHILDREN

AGE VACCINATION
At birth  BCG (prevent tuberculosis)
 Oral polio vaccine
0 – 14 days  OPV 0 (against Polio)
At 6 weeks  OPV 1
 Rota 1
 DPT – HepB – Hib 1 Note:
1 month (after first  OPV2 OPV – means Oral Polio Vaccine
dose)  Rota 1
 DPT – HepB – Hib 2 DPT – Hep – Hib – means
 Diphtheria/whooping cough/Tenanus/Hepatitis /B/
1 month after second  OPT 3 Haemophilus influenza type B
dose)  DPT – HepB – Hib 3
 PCV 3
At 14 weeks  IPV
9 – 11 months  Measles 1 (wa chikuku)
15 – 23 months  Measles 2 (wachikuku)

MICRO-ORGANISMS
o Bacteria …………………………………………………………..can cause e.g. cholera
o Fungi ……………………………………………………………….can cause e.g. Ringworm
o VIRUSES……………………………………………………………can cause e.g. HIV/AIDS
o Protozoa…………………………………………………………..can cause e.g. malaria
HOW TO MAKE ORAL REHYDRATION SOLUTION (ORS)
Materials Procedure
 Clean water
 Sugar  Put 1 litre of water in a jug, Add 10 teaspoonful
 Salt of sugar, Add 1 teaspoonful of salt and stir the
mixture till the salt and sugar dissolve.

ABBREVIATIONS
ABBREVIATION MEANING
1. ADC Area Development Committee
2. AFASS Acceptable, Feasible, Affordable, Safe and Suitable
3. AIDS Acquired Immunodefiency Syndrome
4. ANC Antenatal Clinic
5. APH Ante-partum Haemorrhage
6. ARI Acute Respiratory Infections
7. ART Ante-retroviral
8. ARV Anti-retroviral Virus
9. CAC Community Action Cycle
10. CBDA Community Based Distribution Agent
11. CBMNH Community Based Maternal and Neonatal Health
12. CHBC Community Home Based Care
13. CTC Community Based Therapeutic Care
14. DHS Demographic Health Survey
15. DOT Direct Observed Treatment
16. EBF Expressed Breast Feeding
17. EDD Expected Date of Delivery
18. EHP Essential Health Packages
19. ENA Essential Nutritional Action
20. FP Family Planning
21. HII High Impact Intervention
22. HIV Human Immunodefiency Virus
23. IPT Intermitted Preventative Treament
24. TT Tetanus Toxoid
25. ITN Insecticide Treated Nets
26. MTCT Mother To Child Transmission
27. LAM Lactation Amenorrhea Method
28. LMP Last Month Period
29. MMR Maternal Mortality Rate
30. MTP Medical Termination of Pregnant
31. NMR Neonatal Mortality Rate
32. NNT Neonatal Tetanus
33. PHC Primary Health Care
34. PMTC Prevention from Mother to Child Transmission
35. RHU Reproductive Health Unit
36. STI Sexual Transmitted Diseases
37. TA Traditional Authority
38. IDSR Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response

SAMPLE QUESTION AND ANSWERS

Questions or important points Expected response or knowledge
1. Who is health surveillance assistance (HSA) A person that at as bridge between district health officer
and a community in providing health living and has also a
catchment area
2. What way are the diseases being transmitted Blood contact……………………………………..
3. In Sande village there is a boy suffering from
unknown disease, and has shown the following
symptoms: high fever, dry coughing
a. Who is supposed to go to the village and what HSA, for collecting blood samples and go for lab tests
he/she will do?
b. According to your diagnosis, what is this Covid – 19 (Corona Virus)
disease?
c. Explain in brief how this disease is being Hand shaking, sneezing, not observing social distance( 1
transmitted meter apart)
d. What are the possible solutions to the disease Has no solution (diseases caused by viruses has no cure,
e.g HIV/AIDS)
e. As a health provider, what message can you Maintaining social distance, wearing of face mask,
give people of Sande village washing hands with soap frequently
4. What are the duties of HSA Community health assessment, vaccine administration,
reporting disease outbreak in the community to DHO
5. Define the term malnutrition Is a poor metabolism of food nutrients
a. What are the signs of malnutrition Loosing wait, oedema
b. In what situation is a child start receiving When wait is low. MUAC(mid upper arm circumference)
chiponde is yellow and red
c. NRU stand for what? Stands for Nutrition Rehabilitation Unit
6. In Kaphiri village, many families have no toilets
hence they defacet in surrounding bush and river
a. What message can you tell the people in the They are creating rooms for diseases (breading ground) so
village they must stop it
b. What are the disadvantages of defaceting in They are spreading diseases
forest
c. What possible diseases can be transmitted in the Cholera
area
d. In the same river where inhabitants of Kaphiri They are putting their lives in risk of contracting various
are using s toilet, what warning can you tell the diseases
people using the same water down there as
domestic purpose
7. What are the responsibilities of HSA Ensuring that his/her catchment area is disease free
8. According to your understanding, which one would
you call first when three is an outbreak in the area: HSA
HSA, Nurse, Doctor or Lab technician
9. How can you treat a child which is vomiting at home Making thanzi ORS by mixing sugar and salt.
10. Who is the mister of health Honorable Jappie Mhango
11. Job description of health surveillance assistant  Conducting community assessment within catchment
area
 Conducting village inspection and informs on practices
to provide environmental and personal hygiene
 Provide monthly work plans and reports
 Giving health talks to individuals and groups within
assigned catchment area on health maintenance and
environmental hygiene and practices and priority health
problems
 Motivate the community about family health
 Informs and assist the community in obtaining and
maintaining safe water supply
 Observe for and reports disease outbreak
 Conducts follow up patients to discharge TB, mental
illness, STIs and AIDs
Questions or important points Expected response or knowledge
 Inform the community about good nutrition practice
 Provide for and informs the community about oral
hygiene
 Informs the community about local hygiene
 Inspect for and informs the community local hygiene
 Informs community about and refers persons for
antenatal care
 Work with others in providing immunization
 Work with others in performing activities of growth
monitoring
 Maintains equipment utilized
12. Which year did Corona virus founded 2019
13. What are the symptoms of corona virus  Respiratory symptoms
 Fever
 Shortness of breath
 Difficulties in breathing
14. Which city/providence did this virus started Wuhan
15. What are the sources of Corona virus Eating of animals
16. Explain briefly how is stay at home be a best method
of preventing the spread of Corona virus
17. Between whites and black, which one are dying White because many of
faster and why?
18. Do you believe that this virus was created? Or not?
Support your arguments
19. Which group of people are prone to die of Corona Old people, pregnant women, people living with HIV
Virus positive
20. How can you care the patient of covid – 19 Quarantine them
21. PPE is common word used in the hospital /health Personal Protective Equipment
centre. So what does this stand for?
22. What do you think, why the government wants to
recruit more health workers and security officers
23. Lockdown has affected many people negatively, how Lack of food for people who source for daily basis,
true is this statement businesses going down due lack of customers and chance
to purchase goods outside the country
24. Which country is currently registering the highest
number of corona virus infections
25. What is the word’s population to people who are
covid -19 positive
26. How many people died of covid – 19 worldwide
27. Which country is currently registering the highest America Fill in the blank spaces
number of people dying with Corona virus
28. Which is the second county to be affected by corona Note
virus apart from china Answer provided are based
29. Which African country was the first, to be affected on personal idea, agree or
by corona virus disagree to make your
30. Which country in Africa is registering the highest South Africa
study fruitful
number of people dying with Corona virus
31. Which country in Africa is registering more positive South Africa
cases of Corona virus
32. Define the term vector Is an organism that transmit diseases from one place to
another (or one person to another)
33. Define surveillance Is the continuous monitoring of disease occurrence
34. Immunization Inoculation with vaccine in order to protect from a
particular disease or strain of diseases
35. Which group of people are likely to be affected Health workers, security officers, business people
covid - 19
Questions or important points Expected response or knowledge
36. In Malawi, which district was the first to found Lilongwe
people with covid – 19
37. Which district in the southern and northern region of
Malawi was the first to found people with covid – 19
38. How many people died with corona viruses in 4 people
Malawi
39. Mention the examples of home hygiene Mopping, sweeping, slashing
40. What two factors must be considered first before Blood group and HIV test
blood transfusion
41. Give three examples of communicable diseases HIV/AIDS, syphilis, Covid-19

BE INFORMED THAT CORONA VIRUS IS REAL

Wear Cover your mouth using

Wearprotective face face
protective maskmask
flexed elbow or toilet paper
when coughing or sneezing

By

Avoid handshakes and avoid touching

Frequently wash your hands thoroughly your eyes, nose and mouth with
with soap or hand sanitizer using running unwashed hands
water

Prepared and typed by S.M. Howard ….0997107547 ....Chikwawa/Nchalo