Community health workers work tirelessly to reach out to communities and conduct awareness sessions, in addition to providing other essential primary health care services.
Galkayo, 26 March 2024: Community health workers (CHWs) are members of the communities in which they operate, ensuring they are trusted and can develop deep, lasting relationships with the people they serve. This not only makes them more effective at preventing illness but also enables them to identify community-wide health threats. Nasra Hussein and Istahil Dahir are two young and dynamic CHWs who have dedicated themselves to the wellbeing of their community.
Nasra and Istahil are on one of their routine beats in a camp for the internally displaced, moving from house to house and speaking to people they meet about their health. Access to healthcare is a challenge for most people living in this camp, with the cost of transporting the sick often beyond their reach. By attending to sick people in their homes, CHWs remove this hindrance.
During home visits, CHWs can treat common diseases and refer those with serious and complicated illnesses to the clinic. They help to arrange transport. The CHWs also conduct awareness sessions on preventing disease and malnutrition.
On any given day, you will find Istahil counseling mothers about the benefits of immunization and vaccinating their children. She also goes to places where the communities frequent, such as markets. “Nasra and Istahil visit me every month to keep a close eye on my son’s development,” says Faiza, a mother in the camp. “My son is up to date on his vaccines. At the beginning, I was afraid that he would get pain and fever but today, I see him healthy and full of life.”
“We take pride in what we do, and it fills us with joy when we see the impact of our work. Part of our responsibility is to ensure that children are given routine vaccinations according to their schedule,” says Nasra.
At Halabokhaad Center, Nasra provides vital information on prenatal care, immunizations, hygiene, and disease prevention, which help to reduce child mortality and improve overall health outcomes in her community.
CHWs refer mothers to Halabookhaad Health Center to have their children vaccinated. The mothers are also sensitized on the importance of vaccination. CHWs are compassionate and dedicated to their work. They have earned the trust and respect of the community, which has increased awareness about vaccines and increased uptake of healthcare services.
Nasra and Istahil are among CHWs in Somalia trained by UNICEF, with financial support from the Government of Denmark. Their work is not only improving health and wellbeing but also building resilient communities, empowering individuals to take charge of their wellbeing, and creating a brighter future.
_____________________________________________________________________________________Xafiiska Wararka Qaranimo Online | Mogadishu, Somalia
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