Bishop (Head Pastor) Titus with Dr. Otis and Mickey Stanley. Below, Agnes shares information presented to Community Health Workers in our community.

On Monday the students continued with practicals we want them to know well the keyboard and parts of the window. And then we filled the assessment test you requested us to do it was fun. The same Monday Otis and Mickey came to visit us. On Tuesday we had a meeting with Frank as the students watched a video tutorial on the basics of word while Mickey and Otis went to Ebulechia. On Wednesday we continued to have a meeting but this time Frank, Imelda, Judith and I on what we do exactly in the field. We deal with the sponsored children, guardians, staff, students, front runners and the community as a whole. In other words Frank has the whole report as to what is done. On Thursday we attended a seminar which was hosted by Mickey and Otis and it was as follows:

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER

PURPOSE, GOAL AND OBJECTIVE

What is the duty of a community health worker?

Ø  To provide basic health services to the community or Village health worker(VHW)

Ø  Educate and advice the community and individuals or training

Ø  Should know the basic first aid and give people medication i.e. Provide first aid and emergency

Ø  Demonstrating a healthy diet

Ø  Providing guidance and cancelling

Ø  Demonstrating personal hygiene

Ø  Help access of water

How does the Community Health Worker support the community and the individual?

1.       Serves as an observer of community and the individual on matters relating to health and advice to improve it.

2.       Serves as an advocate in seeking health services and projects

3.       Is the primary interface of health system

4.       Provide potential conduct for house hold and community leaders to help them solve their problems like Safe water, Nutrition and Sanitation

GUIDING PRINNCIPALS

1.       Make clean water available to all (protected from contamination and bacteria and should be chlorinated if contaminated

2.       Ensure access to healthy and safe foods i.e. Fruits should be washed before eating and the food should come from inspected places

3.       Provide education for safe disposal of human waste i.e. water should be protected from animals and human waste. Latrines should be protected from insects and vermin to prevent cross contamination of food and water.

4.       Give mothers and babies good nutrition and care i.e. children to receive vaccines

5.       Provide access to healthcare for the sick and old

6.       Encourage healthy behavior to the young i.e. taught on the importance of hygiene and against smoking

7.       Encourage abstinence and loyalty to avoid AIDS. Use of condoms to prevent spread of ads and the only way to abstain is to be faithful

8.       Protect people from disease carrying disease carrying pests i.e. dwellings should be made insect proof like garbage which can serve as harborage  for disease carrying rodents and other pests should be buried

9.       Work for a safe environment free of harmful agents  like minimizing sources for air pollution like engine exhaust will reduce asthma

New Mother, Early Childhood, Late Childhood Adolescent, Adult and Elderly

COHORT 1:

Pregnancy, Delivery and New Born

1.      Importance for all pregnant mothers and their household to have a birth plan and to organize resources for getting skilled assistance like during delivery they should be under the care of midwife, nurse or the doctor.

2.      The couple should plan who will take care of the children the mother has given birth

3.      They should receive confidential counseling Test for HIV. If positive precautions taken to prevent baby form getting infection like when breast feeding no for aids but there is prevention

4.      The pregnant mothers to be given ant malaria to prevent malaria and getting anemic

5.      Blood pressure to be controlled

6.      Pregnant mothers need the best food available to the family like fruits- mangoes, guavas, oranges, vegetable- kale, meat, fish- dry and fresh, eggs, grains and beans, ion giving foods. They are safe to eat

7.       Pregnant mothers are particularly usceptible to malaria which can cause serious problems.

8.       Pregnancy before 18 and after 35 or within 2 years of the precious delivery increases health risk for the mother and her baby and child birth

9.       Family planning is the responsibility of both men and women

10.   Physical of women and children is a serious public health problem and is inacceptable. Abuse during pregnancy is dangerous to the mother and the child.

11.   Every woman has the right to health care especially during pregnancy and child birth. Health care providers should be available

12.   Pregnant mothers and new born should be screened for disabilities and impairment  in order to plan for any in corrective measure to address the problem

13.   All new born babies need to be protected need to be protected from infections that may interfere with their growth and development measure body temperature for baby on mother

Early Childhood 2 weeks to 5 years

1.       Care and affection during the earliest years help the child to thrive. Bottle feeding can lead to illness and death of the baby if the mother cannot breast feed her infant the baby should be breast fed with milk or a substitute from a clean cup

2.       Weigh your baby regularly from birth to the age of 2 years if the child has not gained the weight for 2 weeks then something is wrong

6 weeks to 2 years

1.       The child needs to feed five times a day in addition to ustained breast feeding there after the child can be fed on family foods five times daily without breast feeding

2.       During illness children need to continue to eat and drink regularly. After an illness children need at least one extra meal everyday

3.       Immunization is urgent every child needs a series of immunization during the 1^st year of life. A child who is not immunized is likely to suffer illness and become permanently disabled.

4.       Diarrhea kills children by draining water from the body. Give extra fluids as soon as diarrhea start.

5.       Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or ash with water after contact with stool and before touching food or feeding children

6.       Child with cough and cold should be kept warm and encouraged to eat and drink as much as possible if the child is breathing rapidly is dangerous

7.       Child with fever should be examined immediately

8.       Families and communities can prevent spread of mosquito by cutting grass, keeping bushes away from homes, draining stagnant water, keeping battery acid and medicines away from reach of children

9.       Young children need more food to develop. It is good to nature their growth. Children learn how to behave and adults set as their role model

10.   All children should be wormed at least twice every year

11.   Parents should talk to their children on the issue and sexual act. Early childhood is unsafe, abortion and STDS are threatening. They should also advice them on drug abuse too.

12.   Everyone who is active should contact VCT (counseling)

13.   . They need sufficient nutrition especially more proteins

25-59 years are at risk of getting AIDS and transmitted diseases

1.       Need check up of Blood pressure, blood sugar, and regular check ups

2.       They are at risk of Tuberculosis and it is curable

Over 60 years. They have the risk of getting blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes. Advice is that they should try to be physically active every day

When to refer to medical facility: (conditions that warrant immediate attention)

Vomiting, Convulsions Not alert, Not responding, Not able to drink or eat, Coughing seriously, Difficulty in breathing, Diarrhea, Fever.

With breathing problem check for:

Chest in-drawing, strange sounds (strider) fast breathing.

With diarrhea look for:

Not alert, not responding uninterested slow return of skin pinch, not able to drink or eat (breast feed), severe dehydration irritable or restlessness, thirsty drinks eagerly.

When you want to know one is suffering from the following you check for: malaria they have stiff neck, hot body, higher temperature, .When one has measles one feels hot, felt hot in past 3 days. With Ear problem, one feels pain, swelling, rubs, pulls ear frequently. With malnutrition, visible wasting or oedema of both feet. Anemia, severe Palma

Baby born and has not visited health center has rigidity, bulging, fontanel, pus draining from the eye

ABCD (basic first aid)

A – Airway

B -Breathing

C- Circulation

D- Dressing the wound

We are eagerly waiting to see you next week and praying for safe journey to Kenya. Be blessed

Agnes