We are honoring World Health Day at HAS by taking a look at a health challenge that is very real and growing in our community: childhood malnutrition. One of the most critical means of combating childhood malnutrition is through education and prevention.
At HAS, we are so very proud of the work we do not just inside the hospital but beyond the walls of the hospital. In 2012, we hired 14 new community workers and opened 6 Community Nutrition Centers. These are numbers we are so very proud of because it’s part of our community-based approach to prevent and treat acute malnutrition. Now 80 percent of the population has an assigned health worker, up from 65 percent in 2011.
Also, we realized that we were placing the burden on too many parents. Some of our mothers were having to travel upwards of 8 hours on foot to bring their children to our Nutrition Annex at the hospital. Now, we have the 6 Community Nutrition Centers throughout the Artibonite Valley, to help make access to quality care easier for the families in our community.
Today we’d like to help you get to know some of our community health workers. 95% of the people employed by HAS are Haitian and the care, screening and education delivered by our community health workers is vital to the families in the HAS service area. In a word, they are our heroes.
Meet Agathe.
She has worked as community health worker for HAS since 1996. For thousands of people, she is the link to the healthcare system that HAS provides to the many mountainous communities of the lower Artibonite Valley. Her job involves dispensing life-sustaining essentials such as immunizations, de-wormer, micronutrients, vitamin A and iron, while also providing preventative education on childhood malnutrition, infectious disease, high-risk pregnancies, and the importance of hygiene.
“I love the job I do. I help people escape the trap of sickness,” Agathe told us one day.
She takes great care with each person; people who depend on her for essential health education and basic care. For example, when she gives vaccines, she explains the importance of each vaccine, as well as how a mother’s health affects her child’s health. Agathe also screens children for malnutrition, assists with pre- and post-natal consultations, documents births and deaths, and refers patients to the local health clinic run by HAS. Whether she is running a community health post, traveling by foot to her next home visit, or at a planning meeting with other community health workers, the work she does is vital to the health of thousands. “ The people are happy – they thank me a lot.”
Agathe speaks with pride about HAS. “We don’t turn anyone away. If someone can’t pay for their medical needs, HAS still helps them. HAS doubles and triples the health of this community.”
Meet Marius.
Marius Periel has been a community health worker for 28 years. He works in the Bastien area, providing both direct care as well as supervision of the other community health workers in his area. He organizes staff meetings, community meetings, conducts routine and targeted home visits, provides community education and hands-on demonstrations on a variety of topics, ranging from:
- Breastfeeding
- Nutrition
- Hygiene and sanitation
- Water treatment
- Maternal health
- Family planning
Marius also gives vaccinations and distributes:
- Vitamin A supplements
- Albendazol (de-wormer)
- Micronutrients
- Iron for women
On top of all of his prevention and education efforts, Marius assists with pre- and post-natal check-ups, creates birth certificates, and collects data on the services he provides.
“I love the service I give to my community. They appreciate it so much. The people believe in HAS and the work we do,” he tells us about his work for almost three decades.
Thanks for reading. To keep up with more HAS staff profiles, be sure to follow our blog.