May 2, 2023

IDENTIFYING THE LAST CHILD - MOBILISING COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS / VOLUNTEERS

Manish Kumar, Orbis International

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THE NEED…

Blindness is a public health issue and efforts should be made to tackle it at the community level adopting relevant strategies.

Outreach = Reach Out

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Base Hospitalwork

CommunityWork

(Outreach)

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WHY MOBILIZE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS?

• To increase coverage• Promotes integration of eye health

in the overall health agenda• Promotes gender inclusivity• Reach out to children who do not go

to schools (pre-school age group and school drop-outs)

• Reach out to children with multiple disabilities

• Avenue for increasing community ownership

• Develop a sustainable referral network in the community

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• ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) under the Govt. health program

• Anganwadi Workers (under the ICDS program of Govt)

• Special Educators • FCHVs (Female Community Health

Volunteers) in Nepal• NGO Volunteers• Other Volunteer Groups (Rural Medical

Practitioners, Traditional Healers, College Students, NCC Cadets, NSS Volunteers, etc.

WHO ARE THEY?

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WHAT IS THEIR ROLE?

• Act as Key Informants (KI)• Identification of ocular disorders among children and referral

to nearest eye care facility• Support in follow up after treatment• Dissemination of eye health education at the community level• Become a vital link between the community and service

provider

• Do not conduct screening of children as school teachers do.

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HOW THEY CAN BE ENGAGED?

• Recommendation letter from District Magistrate / CMOH / CDPO / DPM (NHM & NPCB) / Inspector of Schools at district level – facilitates the mobilization of government employed community level workers

• Orientation on early identification of ocular disorders and need for quick referral to an appropriate treatment center.

• Focus Group Discussions on community based issues

• Involve them in celebrating World Sight Day and such similar events related to blindness control

• Recognition of their ongoing support

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HOW TO TRAIN THEM?Objective: To help them become capable of identifying visible ocular disorders and refer them to the nearest treatment center.

Methodology:• Emphasize on the importance of their role• Stress upon importance of early detection and referral to the right

treatment center• Provide basic information about the eye and blinding conditions in

children• Show appropriate pictures to help them visualize• Provide a tool-kit if possible (containing pictures, referral slips and

appropriate IEC materials)• Dissemination of health education• Make them aware about incentive schemes of government with

respect to identification of children with ocular disorders

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Training of Community Health Workers/Volunteers

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WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS?

• Increased referral of children with ocular disorder needing intervention

• Increased coverage of school drop-out children and those with multiple disabilities

• Increased awareness level in the community through information dissemination and education

• Addresses barrier related to gender inclusivity, accessibility and affordability

• As service provider, gain access to community level data

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WHAT IS OUR EXPERIENCE?

• Anganwadi workers mobilized by partner hospitals in Siliguri and Aligarh have yielded good number of children who underwent surgeries. • Of the 370 pediatric surgeries done by a partner hospital in one year, 132

(35.7%) resulted from referral by Anganwadi workers. Additionally more than 30,000 children got access to eye care services through their involvement.

• Anganwadi workers were instrumental in identifying Vitamin-A deficiency among children in the project area, which was unknown at the project planning stage. This resulted in collaboration with Vitamin Angels to supplement Vitamin A doses for those communities. • About 11,500 children received supplement Vitamin A doses

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OUR EXPERIENCE… CONTD.

• FCHVs are being mobilized in Nepal to reach out to non-school going children in rural pockets.

• ASHAs were trained in Siliguri in identifying children with ocular disorders as well as diabetic adults.

• Special Educators with support from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in West Bengal have been instrumental in identifying those children from special schools and community, who needed ophthalmic treatment.

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THANK YOU