Good health is the foundation for an active, engaging, productive, and enjoyable life. The effects of poor health on subsistence living can be devastating – without the ability to tend to the crops, families suffer from malnourishment and quality of life is undermined by preventable causes. By investing in health for all, children, youth, and adults alike can have improved success in their activities, spending less time spent resting or recovering from illness and more time towards productive labor, most importantly farming or learning in school.
OneVillage Partners hopes to foster communities of people who are engaged in their own health management who know how to prevent and treat basic infection, illness, and disease. Over time, with increased basic primary health care, villagers will have less morbidity and will be better able care for their families and be productive contributors to their communities.
During the past few years, OneVillage has targeted malaria by offering subsidized bednets,provided direct basic medical care during the annual service trip, supported local nurses and clinics with materials, and partnered with Midwives on Missions of Services (MOMS) to increase education surrounding maternal health care.
Our immediate concerns include increasing bednet coverage and usage, emphasizing nutritious eating, increasing community education trainings regarding basic sanitation and treatment of infections, and developing a community health outreach program.
The community health outreach program will be the main health investment and the visible face of the organization’s health initiatives. It will be staffed by nurses and/or community health workers, one per village. The outreach program would focus on community health trainings, the development of family health records, and house visits to both treat minor illnesses or infections and reiterate preventative behavior to avoid future health issues.
Throughout these initiatives, we will: target malaria, intestinal parasites, basic infection and first aid, and child birth issues through community trainings and complementary materials, such as mosquito nets; support the development of community funds designed to assist unexpected costs, such as hospital care or funerals; and connect village health committees with appropriate government and NGO entities for other issues such as TB, HIV/AIDS, dental care, and nutrition
Health Goals and Strategies
Goal 1: Foster an environment of nutritious eating
- Train school children and heads of households in basic nutritious eating and its benefits
- Link agricultural calendar with recommendations for nutritious eating for practical implementation
- Provide nutrition supplements as needed
Goal 2: Reduce morbidity experienced from communicable and infectious diseases
- Train school children and heads of households in basic medical education (hygiene, first aid, and dental care) and special concerns (malaria, childhood and maternal mortality, family planning) with a strong emphasis on prevention methods
- Ensure access to needed supplies for prevention
Goal 3: Affordable access to primary health care
- Train and employ Community Health Workers to complement current government services
- Ensure access to medical supplies
- Organize emergency funds
Goal 4: Advocate for and connect villages with existing services and programs
- Advocate for government services to include villages
- Link villages with NGOs
