2010 CHW Class is an Unqualified Success!

We received the following message from Carol late Thursday. (Note to readers: "Kitte" is Kitte Messer, United Methodist missionary in Senegal who is a nurse. "CHW" is a "Community Health Worker" - the people we have trained and will be training).

Jean and Kittie and Dr. Bashir and I have just returned from the village of Sebi Ponte after spending the afternoon at the home of CHW Aissatou Samb with 9 of the 12 trained CHWs. I have to admit I had very low expectations because I didn't want to be disappointed, but I was completely blown away by their industry and interest. At least 11 of the 12 have been working regularly in their village as community health advocates (one has acquired a job in accounting and still attends meetings when he is able). They have met every two months since their "graduation" at one of their homes with an extensive agenda and minutes kept and several public relations coups to report:

1. One CHW accompanied a young woman with abdominal pain to the hospital and was given significant status when he produced his CHW certificate at her admission for a miscarriage.
2. Another CHW accompanied a laboring woman and her husband to the local birthing center and subsequently to the hospital when she developed a severe hemorrhage. He was also able to obtain reprieve from the extensive hospital expenses for the family.
3. A third CHW was able to document a reduction in cases of malaria in his village after his instruction in the use of insecticide treated bednets for prevention of malaria in comparison to other neighboring villages.

The CHWs requested additional training and refresher courses in a number of subjects and have also applied to the local health board in Theis for approval of their CHW association. What they need most from us is some sort of authoritative badge or card which would give them more authority from other local health institutions, some sort of local/regional or NGO funding for medications (which many of their constituents cannot afford, ie, treatment for malaria or other contagious diseases) and access to IBNs (insecticide treated bednets). I hope to be able to recruit GBGM to assist us with these very reasonable needs.

In sum, I was convinced that our approach here is the future for health in Senegal, having given our CHWs tremendous confidence in their ability to assess and assist patients and assist other health personnel in their communities. I am immensely proud of them, gratified by their ongoing enthusiasm and their desire to improve the wellbeing of their communities.