ACT program officer visits Bohol, Cebu

Asian Community Trust (ACT) Program Officer Megumi Nishijima recently visited Bohol in order to see the progress of its project being implemented in partnership with the Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc.

Ms. Nishijima visited Barangay Sto. Nino in the Municipality of San Miguel and Barangay Caluasan in the Municipality of Dagohoy last Nov. 19 - 21, 2012 in line with the ongoing project “Building community-based health programs to promote health and prevent disease in Bohol.” The project started in April 2010 and is on its third and last year.

Ms. Nishijima (writing) talks with leaders of the people’s organization 

in Barangay Sto. Nino during her visit.

 

The ACT, Japan's first fund raising-style charitable trust, was established in 1979 to assist people at the grass-roots level in Asian developing countries. It has supported projects in more than five Asian countries, in fields spanning health, medical treatment, education, youth training, and development of rural communities. It has funded several projects in urban poor settlers and fishermen communities in Cebu. 

A pose with the members of the people’s organization 

in Barangay Sto. Nino.

Ms. Nishijima talked with leaders and community health workers of the farmers’ organization in Sto. Nino, the Sto. Nino Farmers Association (SFA), a member of the Hugpong Mag-uuma sa San Miguel (HUMASA) or the Farmers Association in San Miguel, and the farmers’ organization Mga Mag-Uuma sa LACALSANDA Apektado sa Land Levelling (MALALA) (Farmers in Lacalsanda affected by Land levelling) in Caluasan.

A pose with residents in Barangay Caluasan.

Services of the CHWs including an herbal cooking, feeding of malnourished children and check up of patients were also conducted during her visit.

Later, Ms. Nishijima visited the VPHCS office on Nov. 22 and shared her insights, noting the improvement of the health practices of the people since the project started two years ago. 

 

A pose with VPHCS staff, from left, Luz Carreon, Crescenciana Labitad, 

Dr. Grace Molina, Dr. Petty Orbeta de Castro, Megumi Nishijima, 

Angelie Marangga, and Dr. Erlinda Posadas.

The project staff said that although the project ends in March 2013, the services of the CHWs who were trained in the project shall continue and the people’s organizations shall sustain the health programs.

ACT continues support for Bohol project

The VPHCS project with the Asian Community Trust (ACT) of Japan, “Sustaining community-based health programs to promote health and prevent disease in Bohol” is on its third year.

The project is implemented in Barangay Sto. Nino, San Miguel and Barangay Caluasan, Dagohoy, in partnership with the people’s organizations, Hugpong Mag-uuma sa San Miguel (HUMASA) or the Farmers Association in San Miguel and the Mga Mag-uuma sa Lakalsanda Apektado sa Land Levelling (Farmers in Lakalsanda affected by Land Levelling) in Caluasan.

There are 125 households (679 population) in Sto. Nino and 402 households (2,132 population) in Caluasan.

Since the project started in April 2010, it has greatly benefitted the residents who are mostly poor farmers in dire need of health services in their rural areas. Through various programs developed and sustained by the people’s organizations through their trained CHWs and health committees, the project has reaped increased health awareness and improved health practices and rendered basic health services to the people.

A community health worker weighs a child as part of the growth monitoring and nutrition program in Sto. Nino and Caluasan. 

 

A community health worker renders ventusa or cupping therapy, a form of traditional Chinese medicine.

The project witnessed widespread health information dissemination on disease prevention and health promotion, covering topics including home remedies for common ailments, nutrition, basic first aid, family planning and contraception, control of acute respiratory tract infections, and control of diarrheal diseases, among others.

Health services by trained CHWs addressed common illnesses such as upper respiratory tract infections or common colds, diarrhea, fever, gastritis, muscle and joint pains, tension headaches, and skin diseases with the use of herbal medicines, water therapy, ventusa, and over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol, antacids, oral rehydration salts, and common antibiotics. Cases that they cannot handle were quickly referred to the project health services officer and to the health centers or government hospitals for more specialized care. 

A community health worker takes blood pressure. Hypertensive patients are advised on healthy lifestyle and referred to health professionals for proper treatment.

Hypertensive patients were screened by trained CHWs in the series of operation blood pressuring monitoring and were referred to the project health services officer and to the health centers for further work-up for possible complications and associated illnesses such as heart diseases and diabetes mellitus.

A nutrition program was started in the second year in both barangays which did not only have mass feeding of malnourished children identified in operation weighing and growth monitoring but also maintenance of proper nutrition through health information on nutrition, proper food preparation, cheap and easily available food sources and feeding practices to the mothers provided by trained CHWs.

Nutrition program in Sto. Nino and Caluasan fed malnourished children, monitored their growth and taught mothers regarding good nutritional practices.

A family planning program was launched in Caluasan, Dagohoy which included community education classes on reproductive health and contraception and referral by the CHWs of women desiring birth control to the health centers to avail of contraceptives such as pills and condoms.

The third year that started in April 2012 shall sustain the gains of the two years in terms of making the CHWs more capable of addressing the health problems in the communities. Advanced health skills trainings shall be conducted to enable them to manage more difficult medical cases. Special skills trainings shall enable them to effectively launch and sustain their ongoing health campaigns, the nutritional rehabilitation of malnourished children, promotion of proper nutrition, family planning, control of hypertension, and provision of essential herbal and rational Western medicines.

Furthermore, a small community health center shall be constructed in each of the two barangays, which shall serve as venues for the meetings of the CHWs, health education classes, clinics for regular check-ups and services, and the botica sa barangay (village pharmacy). Herbal medicines to be processed by the residents, medical supplies and materials, leaflets on common health problems and essential Western medicines aside from the patients’ medical records will be stocked safely in the health centers.

To strengthen the sustainability of their health programs, the leaders of the people’s organizations shall continue to network with their barangay councils, municipal governments, health centers and civic organizations in order to generate financial and material resources.

These prospects have been planned together with the leaders of the two people’s organizations.

ACT program officer visits Cebu, Bohol

Asian Community Trust (ACT) Program Officer Megumi Nishijima recently visited Bohol in order to gain first-hand experience of the progress of its project being implemented in partnership with the Visayas Primary Health Care Services, Inc.

ACT program officer Megumi Nishijima attends meeting with farmers in project areas, November 18.

Ms. Nishijima visited Barangay Sto. Nino in the Municipality of San Miguel and Barangay Caluasan in the Municipality of Dagohoy last Nov. 17- 18, 2011 in line with the ongoing project "Building community-based health programs to promote health and prevent disease in Bohol.” The project started in April 2010 and is on its second year.

Mothers listen to the health discussion.

VPHCS staff Dr. Grace Molina, Cheryl Molina and Petty de Castro with Ms. Nishijima.

Community health workers picking lagundi leaves to be processed into lagundi syrup, a bronchodilator for common cough.

The ACT, Japan's first fund raising-style charitable trust, was established in 1979 to assist people at the grass-roots level in Asian developing countries. It has supported projects in more than five Asian countries, in fields spanning health, medical treatment, education, youth training, and development of rural communities. It has funded several projects in urban poor settlers and fishermen communities in Cebu.

Ms. Nishijima talked with leaders and community health workers of the farmers’ organization in Sto. Nino, the Hugpong Mag-uuma sa San Miguel (HUMASA) or the Farmers Association in San Miguel and the farmers’ organization Mga Mag-Uuma sa LACALSANDA Apektado sa Land Levelling (MALALA) (Farmers in Lacalsanda affected by Land levelling) in Caluasan.

Ms. Nishijima (extreme left) listens to a community health worker conduct a health discussion.

A health education was conducted by a CHW during her visit.

Later, Ms. Nishijima visited the VPHCS office on Nov. 21 and discussed with the VPHCS office about her visit insights and plans for the project.

Ms, Nishijima with VPHCS staff, Novemeber 21, 2011.

ACT continues support for Bohol project

Further development of the community-based health program in two rural barangays in Bohol is expected to continue this year with the recent approval of the project by the Asian Community Trust (ACT) of Japan.

The ACT committee through its Executive Secretary Mr. Michio Ito informed the VPHCS after a meeting last March 23 of its continued support of the project “Strengthening community-based health programs to promote health and prevent disease in Bohol” in Barangay Sto. Nino in the municipality of San Miguel and Barangay Caluasan, Dagohoy in the municipality of Bohol. There are 25 households (679 population) in Sto. Nino and 402 households (2,132 population) in Caluasan.

Municipalty of San Miguel, Bohol

The project started in April 1, 2010 in partnership with the people’s organizations, Hugpong Mag-uuma sa San Miguel (HUMASA) or the Farmers Association in San Miguel and the Mga Mag-uuma sa Lakalsanda Apektado sa Land Levelling (Farmers in Lakalsanda affected by Land Levelling) in Caluasan. Community health workers (CHWs) were equipped through basic health skills trainings conducted with knowledge and skills to address the health problems in the communities. As a result, they are now leading their respective people’s organizations in conducting health education classes on nutrition and basic home remedies and rendering health services which include operation blood pressure and ventusa.

A community health worker renders ventusa services

Common health problems identified in the community diagnosis in the two barangays last June included respiratory tract infections, influenza, hypertension, diarrhea, muscle pains and fatigue, and common infections that can be prevented and managed through continuing health education and basic health services that can be rendered by the trained CHWs.

The second year of the project starting on April 1 aims to sustain the services of the trained CHWs and health awareness raising and promotion among the residents, institute a family planning program in Caluasan and a nutrition program to address the problem of malnutrition, and mobilize the people’s organizations to link with the rural health units and other agencies that would address their health needs.

Additional four basic health skills trainings and four special skills trainings for the 20 trained CHWs, monthly community health classes, and four medical missions shall be conducted in the second year.

The project aims to reduce the prevalence of preventable and communicable diseases in both barangays. by empowering the people’s organizations to deliver basic health information and services in their communities and to manage and sustain their community-based health programs.

Community diagnosis of farming communities in Bohol

A community diagnosis survey of two communities in an ongoing project of the Visayas Primary Health Care Services was recently completed.

The survey was conducted in Barangay Sto. Nino, Municipality of San Miguel and Barangay Caluasan, Municipality of Dagohoy, sites of the ongoing project, “Building Community-based Health Programs to Promote Health and Prevent Disease in Bohol” in partnership with the Asian Community Trust (ACT), Japan's first fund raising-style charitable trust.

The communities have been affected by the failure of the Malinao Dam Project which has worsened their economic situation that in turn affected their health conditions.

The project which started in April 2010 works with the farmers’ organization in Sto. Nino, the Hugpong Mag-uuma sa San Miguel (HUMASA) or the Farmers Association in San Miguel and the farmers’ organization Mga Mag-Uuma sa LACALSANDA Apektado sa Land Levelling (MALALA) (Farmers in Lacalsanda affected by Land Levelling) in Caluasan.

The project centers on capability building of community health workers and leaders of the people’s organizations to launch health programs that answer the health needs of the communities.

The survey gathered data on the socio-demographic profile and health situation including common health problems, causes of deaths, the immunization status and nutritional status of preschoolers, health services available in the community, methods of family planning and nutritional and food practices of the families. Fifty percent of the households were respondents.

Key informant interviews were also conducted among the community leaders in order to complement and deepen the data.

The results of the survey were later discussed among the community leaders and recommendations were drawn that shall be implemented in the second year of the project.

Common health problems identified in the community diagnosis included respiratory tract infections, influenza, hypertension, diarrhea, muscle pains and fatigue, and common infections that can be prevented and managed through continuing health education and basic health services that can be rendered by trained CHWs and project staff.

The survey also recommended a family planning program to be instituted for couples who desire family planning in Caluasan which can be done through information drive regarding different forms of contraception and access of contraceptive commodities.

Malnutrition among children was also identified in both communities which shall be addressed through a nutrition program comprising of health education and information drive on proper nutrition and a feeding program for malnourished children.

Coordination with the rural health units and networking by the people’s organizations with other agencies shall also be done in order to address the problem of the lack of medicines and essential health services in the communities and the existing common practice of home delivery by traditional birth attendants.

The second year of the project shall start in April 2011.

Nursing students donate school supplies

Students organized under the Students Alliance for Community Health Services (SACHS) based in Tagbilaran City recently held its Third Pencil for a Cause Project in its adopted barangay, Caluasan in the municipality of Dagohoy, Bohol.

Some 30 students of different nursing colleges in Tagbilaran City distributed school supplies last Oct. 30, 2010 to more than 200 children of families who are members of the Hugpong Mag-uuma sa San Miguel (HUMASA) (Farmers’ Association in San Miguel, Bohol) and the Mga Mag-uuma sa Lakalsanda Apektado sa Land Levelling (MALALA) (Farmers in Lakalsanda Affected by Land Levelling).


The yearly community outreach activity of the SACHS was held during the general assembly of the MALALA in the barangay hall of Caluasan. Barangay Captain Rey Luchana also shared an update of his recent trip to Japan regarding the ongoing opposition of the farmers’ organizations of the Malinao Dam Project that has worsened their economic situations.

Members of the SACHS have always served as volunteers and partners of the VPHCS in its various community outreach programs and medical missions in its community-based health programs areas.


Barangay Caluasan in Dagohoy and Barangay Sto. Nino in San Miguel are current project areas of the VPHCS in partnership with the Asian Community Trust (ACT) based in Japan.