Out reach health workers provided health services for more than 33000 beneficiaries during the last 6 months
NFDHR:Adel Othman: – Wednesday, 16 January, 2019
As such, the National Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Response (NFDHR) has tried to mitigate the negative impact of the health facilities’ shutdown. It has been working to strengthen the health system in 40 health facilities in Al-Bayda Governorate, with funding from UNICEF. The facilities provide four main services: integrated management of childhood illness, immunization, nutrition and reproductive healthcare services.
Poverty and the lack of health workers salaries have prevented the majority of the population from accessing health facilities to seek health services, so the role of health workers in providing outreach activities had to be enhanced. 116 health workers carried out 2,637 outreach sessions during from July to December 2018. They provided health services to 33,347 beneficiaries, including 9557 women, 12365 boys and 11425 girls in all districts of Al-Bayda governorate.
Every Thursday morning, the health workers pack their bags, medicines and medical supplies and went to pre-defined areas to provide integrated management of childhood illness, immunization, nutrition and reproductive health services. They did this by walking through residential neighborhoods adjacent to the health facilities and moving between isolation and second level villages, searching for children and women who needed health services.
The health were welcomed by parents. They quickly brought their children to treatment and screening. HWs included malnourished children in the nutrition program and vaccinated children who were not immunized against childhood illnesses or who were due to be vaccinated, in addition to providing reproductive health services.
Over the past five months, health workers have visited hundreds of villages, marginalized camps and displaced areas, in a scene that reflects the importance of the humanitarian role in providing health services to those unable to access health facilities.
After five months of work, parents were accustomed to frequent visits by health workers. They were waiting for them every Thursday eagerly. They were given the trouble and cost of transporting their children and women to health facilities. They also received free and high-quality health services.