SAMUHA PLAN's health programmes focus on creating a community demand for health services available with the government Primary Health Centre. Major activities conducted are health awareness through Village Health Days (VHD's), focus group trainings, immunisations, health boards, healthy baby shows and dai capacity building. A system of medical referrals has also been established whereby families can access emergency medical services and the project bears the expenses either in full or part. The overall health strategy is to create a community demand for basic health services.

Highlights 2002

Village Health Day :

As part of Village Health Days, community work camps were held where communities collectively cleaned or repaired the surroundings of drinking water points and stagnant water spots. Some communities made soak pits. The cultural troupe performed skits and songs to educate the community about hygiene, early marriage and family planning. Primary school children were taught about personal hygiene at their schools. Practical demonstrations of Oral Rehydration Solution preparations were also given.

Project Supports Eye Camps :

During the year, SAMUHA PLAN regularly organised eye screenings in Irkalgada and Kanakagiri clusters, and 36 children were treated. The project supported eye camps in Deodurg organised by local associations along with the local PHC and District Blindness Control Society. 352 persons were checked for eye problems while cataract surgeries were conducted for 171 elderly persons. The project gave its support in terms of food and transport for the patients and doctors.

World Tuberculosis Day :

The project participated in World Tuberculosis Day by conducting awareness programmes at Deodurg town. Stalls were set up, the cultural troupe performed skits in the town market and 800 pamphlets on TB symptoms, testing and treatment were distributed.

Health Education for 300 Munjavu Groups :

Health education sessions were conducted for 300 Munjavu women's thrift groups. The topics covered included exclusive breast feeding, child immunisation, ORS and family planning.

Adolescents Oriented on Cleanliness :

Health education sessions were also held for 106 adolescent girls and tailoring trainees in 10 project villages. These girls have been taught to identify and prevent infections through proper hygiene and cleanliness. Peer-to-peer health IEC was emphasised.

KEY LEARNINGS:

Prevention of diseases, especially in children, should be the focus. Early detection and follow up should also be ensured.

To reduce the incidence of maternal mortality, women with high risk pregnancies should undergo regular ANC's.

IN THE PIPELINE...

... the use of wrist bands with beads to identify children by their degree of malnutrition will be introduced to ensure that these children are fed first in the Anganwadis.

... a child-to-child process in which a group of older, interested children will be selected for health orientation. They will then be encouraged to share their learnings with their peers and their juniors.

Ten-year-old Hanumantha from HN Thanda was bitten by a fox while grazing his family's sheep. He was bleeding profusely when his uncle found him and carried him home. Hanumantha's parents brought the local doctor to their home. "We had to sell 6 sheep to pay for the medicine," said Hanumantha's father. But Hanumantha's condition just got worse.

The family then asked the SAMUHA PLAN health team for help, and they immediately sent the boy to a specialist in Raichur. They also ensured that the expensive anti-rabies injections was procured and administered. Today, Hanumatha is happily running in the field again.