HEALTH PROMOTION
Health promotion is a key activity of LAMB, mainly carried out by the Community Health and Development Program team, CHDP.The biggest focus of the work is on women and children, with the objectives of reducing the number of maternal deaths related to childbirth, and reducing the number of child deaths and disabilities. There is however also a very significant element of general health improvement work.
Health promotion is carried out at several levels, in several ways:
In the Home:
Village Health Volunteers are the core of this key sector of health work. All have received one week’s initial full time training at LAMB, and also received further specific skills training. They visit all homes in their village at least once per month with health promotion advice. At the same time, as appropriate, they carry out other duties. These included checking weight growth of infants, publicising free treatment, and acting as first line identifiers of significant health problems of individuals. They are able to suggest referral to clinics or hospitals for treatment.At Village Groups:
At meetings of village members, such as those for micro-finance operations, basic health promotion training is given.In Schools:
Health workers visit schools to give healthcare education to students. Adolescents, ages 11-19, are receiving particularly committed focus in the area of Adolescent Reproductive Health.In Clinics:
In addition to their clinical activities – antenatal check-ups, treatment and referrals – clinic staff provide a degree of health promotion activity.LAMB Community Health Staff
LAMB has 240 Community Health Workers and Community Midwives, all highly trained. They provide training to community groups, at schools, and also more advanced training to the approximately 450 Village Health Volunteers