Primary Healthcare

 

Download our Primary Healthcare prospectus

 

A Recent report from Uganda

Linden Boothby writes:

The team start each day with half an hour worship together, taking it in turns to lead the session.

 

The teaching at each of the sites took the following form:

 

Introduce team.

Divide the delegates into groups, often dictated by the number of interpreters available. It was possible with eight PHC team members to pair up one experienced person with one novice, giving the new comers support and encouragement.

 

Each group then carries out a needs assessment; although the needs in each community are very similar the priority level varies, for example:

 

Tororo:

Malaria     26 points

Nutrition     24 points

STI's, HIV/AIDS   20 points

Family Planning   18 points

Relationships   15 points

Diarrhoea     12 points

Alcohol/Drug abuse 5 points

 

Wellspring:

Relationships (covering divorce, fighting, rehabilitation of offenders, self esteem, child abuse, infidelity, fornication, hypocrisy, gossiping, communication, HIV/AIDS, STI's)     

 

Poverty (covering child abandonment, child labour, human trafficking, ignorance, lack of education, child abduction, unemployment)

          

Families (covering abortion, family planning, childhood mortality, nutrition, diarrhoea, fever, hygiene)

 

Addictions (covering alcohol abuse, drug abuse, smoking, mental illness)

 

In both of these areas we managed to cover their top three priorities, being mindful to make reference to topics lower on the list as much as possible. For example in Wellspring although we did not cover addictions, it was mentioned under the relationships heading.

 

Before the teaching starts we talk to the groups about influencers in the community, asking them to consider whether they would be prepared to be an influencer, serving the community by being part of a committee overseeing cascading the learning and linking it to a practical project in the community.

 

An example of this is Kasubi community. This is very close to Wellspring, a rural setting, where there is little or no employment. The first year we went there we asked the question ‘How many babies and under fives have died this year from simple diarrhoea?' ‘ Too many to count' was the answer. That year the community formed a PHC committee and linked the teaching to providing pit latrines for the village. Last year we sat and taught on a rubbish tip and at the end of the teaching their chosen practical project was to remove the rubbish, to bury it and burn it and try to confine it to one place. This year we took photographs of this area, which now boasts no rubbish but instead very healthy food crops!

When we asked the question this time ‘How many babies and children have died from simple diarrhoea?' There was a resounding NONE! That's transforming a community.

 

Life is getting even harder for these people as the economic climate worsens and food prices rise, and so this year the committee chose ‘growing food' as their project. Land is very scarce and most people rent their huts and houses, but the committee are searching for little pockets of land and encouraging people to grow plants in pots. To start this project we helped them by teaching ten people how to grow organically (people can't afford to buy pesticides) these ten will plant model plots so that other villagers can copy the method. Seeds will be shared amongst the community; most food will be consumed by families but where there is a little over it can be sold for cash. For example small orange trees are prolific, as are avocado trees but take some time to grow, whereas spinach and tomatoes can be cropped quite quickly.

 

We had fun teaching nutrition, demonstrating foods that they could grow which are brilliant for children and adults alike. Sharing recipes and ways of cooking. Most of the mothers had been feeding weaned babies and children purely on carbohydrates, leading to malnutrition and other health problems in many children.

 

As you walk round this community there are visible signs of improvement, a cleaner environment and a sense of hope and unity.

 

Gerenge, a very difficult fishing community, leading a harsh life, with little or no sense of public health. We went back there for the second time; the committee's first practical project had been to reduce the decaying rubbish in the community. During the year they have enrolled a volunteer Beach Manager and begun a system of filling sacks with rubbish, which is then taken to one central point to be burned. They had done so well and whilst the village is still a difficult place to be there is definite improvement, one area of huts looking amazingly clean and bright. Their project for the coming year is to dig more pit latrines, the few that they already have being very full! There is human waste everywhere and consequently much disease. We have built relationship with Annette who heads up the committee and look forward to returning next year.

Back