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Development Sector: Health
Reproductive Health issues / Family Planning
The objective of NEA’s educational health forums are to draw awareness to the benefits of adopting good health practices and reduce risk behaviors. As an ongoing measure the NEA has introduced 5 health officers who have been trained to conduct household visits and provide health care discussions throughout the villages on a regularly scheduled basis. In 2008, 15 more health volunteers were trained and have been commissioned to work in the South Mo project area.
HIV/AIDS
Sadly, study figures released quickly become outdated, as the fires of HIV/AIDS sweep across the African continent. Statistical forecasts paint a horrific landscape for parts of the African continent. Particularly affected is the sub-Saharan region of Africa which includes Ghana. This geographic region accounts for a staggering percentage of the infected. The location of Janga has meant that it is less susceptible to the HIV/AIDS virus. NEA has not instituted an educational program apart from that of the Ministry of Health through it's staff in the area. It has, however, facilitated meetings with the women's co-operative members and other community groups for education purposes. The Deg area is very close to the Ivory Coast border. Close enough that many people have crossed the border to look for employment - only to return home ill and infected with the deadly disease.
NEA's approach has been three fold. Firstly, in June 2002, a training program was organized for five individuals who would act as monitors. They each have at least 30 house meetings per month, informing people about the disease on an individual basis and then organize community talks for the medical staff of the area. From July 2002 to April 2005 records show that they have directly reached 17,179 people with education on HIV/AIDS, STDs, family planning , environmental & personal hygiene, treatment of burns, scalds & snakebites; malaria, fevers, diarrhea, cholera, & child health.
Clinics report a radical increase in the use of birth control methods by women as follows:
Jama and Bamboi clinic reports also showed a decrease in the number of new HIV infections in 2004 and 2005. They have reported that there is less traffic across the border now that people know the risks. Secondly, NEA has organized church youth conferences to discuss moral issues and encouraged youth to follow the path of abstinence until marriage. Thirdly, NEA has co-ordinated a program for the unemployed which has effectively given youth income-generating activities so that they don't have reason to cross the border for work or end up in prostitution. Statistics are not yet available from the clinics to compare the rate of infection but with these measures, and the indication so far, it is expected to drop. CIDA funding was approved in 2007 for this facet to expand into the South Mo area. Volunteers have been trained and are reaching out to their designated communities. By the end of 2009, it is expected that 30,000 more people will be reached through this program.
Volunteer support…
In 2004, one of GRID’s board members, Dr. Norman Musewe (Pediatric Cardiologist) paid a working visit to Ghana. He trained health professionals in the use of donated heart machines; delivered a lecture on heart disease at the Ghana Police Hospital and treated patients.
In November 2007, NEA welcomed a team of 25 medical volunteers, led by Dr. Jennifer Wilson, MD. They worked alongside Ghanaian healthcare professionals and treated patients at five locations. These clinics were attended by people from more than 60 villages. The team treated close to 3000 patients in the time they were in Ghana and an additional 3000 that were pre-screened received treatment by Ghanaian volunteers for minor health issues. One of the team’s goals in their maiden journey was to see how they could continue to support NEA’s health initiatives and plans are underway for medical team visits to become a regular part of the NEA calendar.
Healthcare Facilities
In the later part of 2004, healthcare facilities in the village of Bamboi (Deg project area) were expanded to include a maternity ward to provide adequate care for mother and child. In 2005, through the assistance of the Makbraneth Foundation, a large clinic and nurses’ quarters was constructed in the South-Mo area (Nyamboi) to further assist the healthcare professionals efforts. The newly opened clinic at Nyamboi, (Jema District) catering to the needs of more than fifteen villages, is operating effectively. It is a good example of partnership with theMinistry of Health which provides staff and on-going support.
In the near future, NEA’s hopes to see the dream building and operating a small hospital in the Deg area become a reality. Having a hospital close by would mean less travel time for people that are referred to higher medical care by the clinics and more lives saved.
Outcomes and Impact
Beneficiaries
The Janga Health Center has a catchment area population of about 40,000 people. Patients travel from about 20 villages to Janga as their first point of medical attention. Prior to NEA's intervention, about 50 people per annum died of snakebite. This has been reduced to nil since anti-snake venom medication (ASV) and a cold-chain method of storing it was put in place. A revolving credit system makes this aspect sustainable. People who are bitten are given treatment immediately and the Village Health Committee members see to it that payment is made for the vaccines after the patient recovers. This ensures that funds are available to replace the ASV that has been used.
The Bamboi Clinic has a catchment area of 12,000 people and the Jama Clinic about 10,000. For both of these clinics patients travel from outlying villages - some even come from Ivory Coast to the Jama Clinic. In this area at least 20 people per annum are treated for snakebites. Immunization is one of the key preventive health strategies in both areas. The medical staff travels to all of the surrounding villages on a regular basis to immunize against the six killer diseases and also against cerebro spinal meningitis. This has effectively reduced the death toll, especially among children. The Deg staff have set a goal of 100% immunization and to accomplish this, their staff travels monthly to the villages to immunize new babies.