CHILD SURVIVAL PROJECT MAKES IMPACT IN 12 COMMUNITIES (PAGE 22)

THE Child Survival Project implemented by Hope for Future Generations (HFFG), a non-governmental organisation NGO), has made significant gains in 12 communities in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District in the Central Region.
The project is being sponsored by SIMAVI of Netherlands.
In a summary at a workshop at Ajumako, Ms Nancy Ansah, a resource person of HFFG, said the project raised the awareness of the link between ill-health and sanitation in the participating communities.
She said the project achieved community participation in health care through training of volunteers, and the establishment of community support systems.
Ms Ansah said the project had made major gains in the knowledge on preventive health, signs, symptoms, spread, prevention and management of malaria, adding that its incidence reduced by 47.13 per cent during the period.
She said the use of insecticide treated mosquito nets also increased by 46.7 per cent.
Ms Ansah stated that primary health care was made easily accessible to the people and that community-based health agents were also trained to refer diseases to hospitals.
According to her, the project also encouraged mothers to immunise their children on time while traditional birth attendants also received training and incentives to send women in labour to health facilities.
It was, however, observed that more needed to be done and the project expanded to cover more communities for the benefit of the majority of people who lived in deprived areas.