Hello!
It’s Iago
again.
It has been
long time (more than three months) of thinking, networking, studying, writing,
with one thing in mind: transforming the initial push of “TATU Health Project”
into a local based, sustainable and specific health program. We have put to it
a lot of imagination and work, so much that there was not any left for thinking
of a “catchy” name. Thankfully, Swahili word for “Health” is as beautiful as “Afya”.
Here we go with AFYA program!!
Founding
directors of TATU Project have shown their full support and provided a lot of
ideas and contacts… Moreover, Daniela, one of them, has had an important role
of supervision lately as well. Jen, “Nina Jali” program manager has
participated in many discussions and she is the one in charge of training
Community Health Workers. Marta, volunteer from Poland, has given an incredible
support for running the activities so far.
Tariq, the
new coordinator, is taking over the tasks little by little, also learning in
the process. And soon, Ricardo, Marina and Elena (volunteers that will introduce
themselves soon) are joining for summer program.
For now,
the strategic plan of the program contains the objectives and activities during
next two years. Today, I would like to summarize the main goal and “subgoals”
it contains:
GOAL
One main goal is potentially influenced by all our actions
By December 2016, most
(80%) of 8800 inhabitants (Londoto, Msitu Wa Tembo and Kiruani) will have
noticed an improvement on one or several among their:
Perceived health
Awareness about
prevention
Access and trust for
local health facilities.
We will measure this
using a survey.
SUBGOALS
Each subgoal responds to one of the problem areas selected from the tree,
because its changing potential.
Problem
Area 1. Lack of awareness
(and lack of availability of prevention tools)
Subgoal
1. 250 people will have increased their
awareness about prevention (written exam during the campaign) by participating
in activities for spreading awareness of prevention.
Nina Jali
program, managed by Jen, is training 13 ladies to be Community Health Workers.
You know them from previous entries!!
Problem
Area 2. People who can’t
move don’t get medical attention.
Subgoal
2. Capacity of Home
Based Care system will be improved, in terms of quality (satisfaction survey
among 70 current patients) and number of patients assisted (+80 registered
patients).
The
strategy that we follow for tackling this problem area is increasing the
capacity of Home Based Care providers. For that, we have several activities,
including:
o
Improving
mobility of Home Based Care providers.
o
Providing
classes to these workers.
o
Bringing
doctors in order to assist with selected cases.
Problem
Area 3. Dispensary is not
able to provide all the medicines to patients
Subgoal
3. Quality of the
dispensary will have improved, 20% of 5600 users will be more satisfied, there
will be 750 new users (we will evaluate this by surveys).
We
would like to enhance a better awareness and use of Community Health Fund for
buying drugs.
Problem
Area 4. Lack of
epidemiological data of diseases.
Subgoal
4. Health committee,
Community Health Workers, dispensary and other relevant stakeholders will have
been informed about chronic disease through a documented report. First action
we take is carrying on a prevalence study of diabetes, hypertension, alcoholism
and smoking.
Problem
Area 5. Deworming is not
carried on a regular basis by the Government
Subgoal
5. 85% of kids in
primary schools will have received deworming medication twice a year.
We will
start working with District Medical Office (DMO), to provide this treatment
recommended by WHO.
There is
another action we take, that doesn’t help just with one problem area, but with
several at same time. It is our, already famous in Msitu, medical caravan!
Subgoal
0. Assist, give
medical advice to 120 patients, by doctors from Moshi, at least once a year
(medical caravan).
I hope it
is not too boring entry. Among all, I hope it doesn’t disappoint you, and it
helps to keep you interested on this!
Thanks, and
more soon!
