Community Health-Based talks and services 1
Community Health-Based talk and services 2
Community Health-Based talks and services 3
Community health-Based talks and services 4
QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT NO COMMUNITY BASED HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMME FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31-12 –2010.
Affliction Relief Centre (A R C) in a quest to educate, sensitize and empower the rural dwellers on the prevention and control of dreaded diseases especially the common ailments among the rural dwellers carried out the following activities during this period under review;
1) Spade work / preliminary visits.
2) Community based health survey.
3) Community based health talks / health services.
Spade work visits were made in Ezza-Onuogba community in Enugu East local government area of Enugu state. The aim of these visits is to meet with the stakeholders of the community such as the traditional ruler, town union president, youth & women leads, intimating them on what ARC is, and discussing with them what the organization intends doing in their community (i.e. bringing to their doorstep a rare education and empowerment on prevention and control of diseases that may be devastating lives in their remote areas especially in mothers and their children). In addition ARC noticed that the youths of this community are basically unproductive since they do not have the skills and/or the resources to start their own business. Most of them dropped out of school because of lack of funding.
However, this community was selected based on certain criteria such as:
1) Communities that have not benefited from any government or non-governmental organizations, social amenities like cottage hospital/ dispensary, trained health personnel’s, no good source of water etc.
2) Communities that are not in violence due to political tussles.
As a follow up to these visits ARC conducted a health survey in this community. During these exercises, 50 member delegates were selected from the traditional ruler, town union, youths, church leaders and women leaders. Questionnaires as a survey tool were distributed and filled by the members. The aim is to get baseline information about the community profile, especially on health status as to enable the centre to determine the area of intervention. ARC consultant, Dr. Orikpe, after the analysis, recommended health topics for the community.
Based on these analysis, ARC with her team which includes Dr. Orikpe from park lane specialist hospital Enugu, three chief nursing officers (Mrs. Nwabunwu Catherine, Mrs. Okeke Rose and Mrs. Ofungwu Caroline from (poly clinic Enugu), and the senior programming officers, organized a community based health education talk on personal & Environmental hygiene and High blood pressure. These two diseases were confirmed as the most killer diseases in this remote community. The ARC consultant extensively educated over 500 participants that attended the exercise (see pictures attached). He made point on what is High Blood Pressure, signs and symptoms, management and control of High Blood Pressure. A lot of questions were raised by the participants, which were answered by the consultant. On the other hand, one of the nurses, Mrs. Okeke Rose highlighted on personal and environmental hygiene and their advantages.
At the end, some participants were randomly selected to check their Blood Pressure and those who are hypertensive were counseled and given some High Blood Pressure (HBP) medications and referred to hospital for further management. The participants were excited and thanked ARC for remembering them because it seems they have being forgotten by the Government. Mr. Nwaogwu Godwin of Ezza Onuogba community said that “God must surely pay you people back for remembering us in this our forsaken Community. There is no health post, not even a chemist shop is here, and many of us are dying of infections due to ignorance on hygiene, HBP etc. Please, come again to teach us more on how we can prevent and control these diseases, as prevention is better than cure.’’
FUTURE PLAN
1) To further educate the above community on other health related issues such as sexually transmitted diseases (S.T.D), the dangers of female circumcision, and the effects and management of diabetes to mention but a few.
2) To work together with Enugu State government, people of above community, concerned
individuals and international N.G.Os on the establishment of a primary health centre, digging of pit
toilets and portable drinking water (borehole) in the above community.
3) To educate some selected youth of the above community on skill acquisition such as soap making;
cake making; computer education; and provide take-off grant to the very best few.
4) To extend our health related education to other remote communities of Enugu State.