BASIC FACT SHEET
DEC ’ COMMUNITY BASED HEALTH EDUCATION/ADVOCACY

YEAR	NUMBER OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TRAINED AND RE-TRAINED	NUMBER OF YOUTH LEADERS TRAINED FOR PROMOTING HIV/AIDS EDUCATION IN COMMUNITIES
2004 – 2005	25 Health Workers in 25 communities
2005 – 2006	30 Health Workers in 30 communities	40 agents in 6 communities
2006 - 2007	27 Health Workers in 27 communities	56 agents in 10 communities
TOTAL	82 Health Workers in 82 communities	96 agents in 16 communities

 

THE EFFECT OF THESE TRAININGS ON BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND THE TRAINERS THEMSELVES

The Community Health Trainers themselves are the key agents of change as regards the community health status.  They themselves have acquired basic and complete training on health issues such as Hygiene, Diarrhea, Cholera, Family Planning etc. which affects mostly the lives of rural people.  However, the Community Health Worker as a matter of fact becomes the health educator, health provider since she treats early illnesses before it becomes serious and lastly the Community Health Worker becomes a model to the community. 

The communities where these Community Health workers work benefit from health education and these communities’ health knowledge, health attitudes and practice have  improved because the Community Health worker provides health education, treat and cure common ailments especially those illnesses that are common in rural areas thereby reducing risks and dangers.  More than 3000 men, women, youths and children have benefited from this programme during this period under review. 

The 96 trained Youth Leaders in 16 communities on HIV/AIDS Scourge have been able to acquire knowledge on HIV/AIDS Prevention, mode of transmission, stigmatization etc.  They are empowered and trained to educate and sensitize others, men, women, youths and children on HIV/AIDS scourge.  However, their education and sensitization have had a lot of effects on the life of the community.  For instance, people living with HIV/AIDS who hide due to stigmatization were able to come out and identify themselves and as such seek for help.  Also, the trained youth leaders have been able to reach out to  more than 2000 youths since 2006 and they are now enlightened on the HIV/AIDS issues and the ways to over coming stigmatization and discrimination. 

FUTURE PLAN

To continue to reach other new communities who have not benefited and also improve on the care and support to PLWA (People Living With AIDS), which we have already started by  giving them access to ART.

Helen Agu
Programme Officer In-Charge CHW.