Community health workers demand work kits

RUBAVU - Over 100 community health workers attached to Busasamana health centre have been equipped with skills to enable them offer anternatal care to expectant mothers. The three-week training which ended on Thursday was organised by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with JHPIEGO-Affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, an NGO working on maternal health at community level. While closing the training session, Dr Yvone Mukakibibi, the community health officer in the Ministry of Health, challenged the local authorities to partner with community health advisors to step up sensitisation campaigns among expectant women. She urged rural women against giving birth from their homes in order to prevent mother and child mortality rates. The community health advisors appealed for work kits especially gum boots, torches and even weighing machines saying these will facilitate a better provision of their expertise within their working sites. Jeremie Zoungrana, the country director JHPIEGO, observed that considering the community intervention as a key element in health will play a big role in improving the quality of health in rural areas. Ends