chisomo community health organization
Given the urgent need for health delivery in this rural area, a community-based organization, Chisomo Community Health Organization, was set up even before the health centre was in place. This organization, through its village health workers and health worker coordinators, works with local villages on prevention and education and encourages early referrals to the health centre. This is a grassroots initiative, involving local individuals from many villages, coming together to bridge a gap identified in the health delivery system. It oversees a preventive health outreach program to improve health conditions for the 27,000 people in the catchment basin around Chilanga, by putting front line health care into the hands of those who need it most.
Each group village selects three people to be trained as Village Health Workers (VHW), capable of basic health interventions as well as providing information to encourage health promotion and prevention of the most direct sort. They will maintain a data bank of information on individual villagers’ health which will be shared with the Chilanga CCAP Health Centre to ensure appropriate follow-up. This information allows the VHW Coordinators to identify needs and provide workshops when trends and problems are identified.
The network of VHWs is supported by two Health Surveillance Assistants (HSA) and collaborates closely with the Ministry of Health in nearby Kasungu and the Chilanga CCAP Health Centre.
Tina Mbewe is coordinating the Village Health Workers and is currently working in more than 90 small villages in the catchment basin. To assist in this work, twenty-nine bicycles have been donated by Graham Covington of Engaging Networks and distributed to Village Health Workers.
Each group village selects three people to be trained as Village Health Workers (VHW), capable of basic health interventions as well as providing information to encourage health promotion and prevention of the most direct sort. They will maintain a data bank of information on individual villagers’ health which will be shared with the Chilanga CCAP Health Centre to ensure appropriate follow-up. This information allows the VHW Coordinators to identify needs and provide workshops when trends and problems are identified.
The network of VHWs is supported by two Health Surveillance Assistants (HSA) and collaborates closely with the Ministry of Health in nearby Kasungu and the Chilanga CCAP Health Centre.
Tina Mbewe is coordinating the Village Health Workers and is currently working in more than 90 small villages in the catchment basin. To assist in this work, twenty-nine bicycles have been donated by Graham Covington of Engaging Networks and distributed to Village Health Workers.
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