B. Conceptualizing Health Education
(1) Community Initiative for Blood Safety: The “Right to Health” frame work and the increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS make it imperative for everyone to reflect on the issue of blood safety. Major communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C are closely linked to blood safety. Ensuring quality blood and blood products can help prevent the spread of the diseases and decrease their prevalence.
(2) Child Centered Initiative for Health Promotion:
WHO speaks about three themes as part of Health Promotion though schools and amongst school students.
They are:
1. Preparation for Life
2. Protection of Life
3. Quality of Life in later years
Why Child Centered Initiative for Health Promotion?
Shanti Ashram has over the past years, organized many community based activities to respond to this emerging demand for health care education and training. This children-centered initiative aims to provide training to children from rural High Schools across Perur.
The objectives included:
1. To conduct a health promotion initiative for students enrolled under this program in the
age group of 12 -15.
2. To facilitate interactions between the involved schools and the health care providers who are participating in the project.
3. To test a model for providing health care services for adolescent students and determine the potential for its contribution and expansion.
4. To provide health education to students based on their relevant needs and interests.
Collaborators:
1. Shanti Ashram
2. Department of Community Medicine, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences & Research
Centurion Bank, Coimbatore.
Output
This health promotion initiative successfully completed a 20-hour health education module developed for rural children of Perur Block. A total of 22 children underwent the training from 2nd to 6th May. The response and inputs showed that the rural children enjoyed undergoing this much needed training. A table showing the particulars of the children who underwent this initiative is given below:
C . Carrying out Community Based Health Research
1. Two batches of Medical Students from PSG Medical College worked with Shanti Ashram to carry out their field research in the area of Child Health and Extended Immunization. This was done under ‘problem solving for better health.’
2. Two batches of MSW students in their 3-month internship focused on Community Medicine.
3. The Community Health section carried out a baseline health survey as part of the Carbon Mitigation Project.
4. A meeting of specialists was convened to finalize the scope and child health parameters for Building Child Friendly Panchayats Initiative.
5. International Medical Students from USA, UK and Germany also participated in the short study programs.
D. Training of Health Care Providers
The following training programs were conducted during the year.
Course on Rural Health in Tamil Nadu for medical students. International and national students benefited from the program, which consisted of 16 sessions and familiarized the students with the health status of Tamil Nadu, introduced them to health care systems both in the public and private sectors, provided practical exposure to on-going community health initiatives and facilitated inter-sect oral discussions.
Field Placements for DCH Students
E. Inter-sect oral partnerships for Health Promotion
1. Activities carried out during the year: The Aravanaippu Initiative is an attempt to bring religious leaders of Tamil Nadu together to address the worsening HIV/AIDS crisis that is affecting the State. Overcoming HIV/AIDS and the stigma that fuels its spread, is one of the most serious challenges of our time. The objectives of this UNICEF funded project are:
2. To create a data base of religious leaders and organizations of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
3. To produce an abridged edition of What Religious Leaders Can Do About HIV/AIDS – Action for Children and People, both in English and Tamil.
4. To hold an assembly of 3- - 50 religious leaders of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to explore the possibility of dialogue and cooperation in HIV/AIDS.
5. To explore potential collaborative action within and across religious communities for HIV/AIDS.
The Activities carried out during the year:
1. State level Children’s’ Round table on HIV/AIDS and the Round Table of Religious leaders were held at Shanti Ashram on April 28th & 29th – 2005. Nearly 45 religious leaders from 6 religions participated in the program. Thavathiru Kundrakudi Ponnambala Adigalar & Rev. Fr. William Moses addressed the gathering.
2. The directory of religious leaders and organizations in Tamilnadu was collected and printed.
3. A booklet on “What Religious Leaders can do about HIV/AIDS in Tamilnadu” was printed and distributed.
4. The work of medical professionals, social workers, and people affected with HIV/AIDS and writers was compiled and edited by Marabin Mainthan Muthiah, a noted Tamil Writer and Poet. This was published in the form of a book in Tamil entitled “Nambikkai Valaiyathil Nam Pengal”.
5. Aravanaippu Initiative - Phase II. The aim of this program is to take up capacity building of the priests and capacity building of faith-supported institutions. The Religious Leaders Round Table of Kerala was held on 10th November 2005. 62 participants representing the major religions in Kerala participated in the workshop. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, in his inaugural address urged the people to put in concerted efforts to fight this global challenge. He wanted the religious leaders to play a greater role in fighting this disease medically and morally.
Mr. Thomas George, Coordinator, UNICEF Chennai, said that religious leaders could play a greater role in wiping out AIDS from society. Mrs. Minoti Aram, President, Shanti Ashram, Justice Shamsuddin, Dr. Vasudevan, Dr. Viswanathan, Fr. Albert Nambiamparambil, also spoke on the occasion.
6. Two Children’s Round Table on HIV/AIDS was held at Munnar on 11th March and at Kalamessery, Cochin, on 14th March 2006. These Round Tables were attended by 50 children each. The children were exposed to the facts on HIV/AIDS as well as the causes for the infection and the precautionary measures. At Kalamessery, a Health Quiz was also organized on HIV AIDS for the children.
7. The base data on the list of religious leaders and organizations were compiled and verified with the help of two brothers from the National Council of Churches. The data base today has over 450 addresses.
8. Prathiba – Engaging Women of Faith in HIV/AIDS Prevention & Care.
Faith based organizations have always played a vital role in promoting health and providing relief for the socially and economically marginalized sections of the society. Religious leaders and organizations have always been the fore-runners in providing care and compassion to the people who are ill. Faith traditions can play in prevention and control of the AIDS pandemic as well as in offering material, moral and spiritual support to the people living with HIV/Aids. Though women of faith have often dedicated themselves in aspects of care, they have had little space to speak about issues and factors that lead to the spread of the epidemic. So there is need for a separate space for women in all responses to the HIV/AIDS, including those of the FBOs. This project aims to mobilize faith and their leadership, build their capacities and support them in finding locally appropriate solutions to modify the course of the epidemic.
Shanti Ashram works with the following partners in the above project:
1. Women of Faith Network, India
2.
South Asia Inter-religious Council
3. Amity Humanity Foundation
4. Positive Mothers’ Network
Activities completed during the year:
1.Identification and documentation of Women Religious Leaders & Organizations in India
2. Preparation and Printing of the Brochure on Prathiba
3. First meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee at New Delhi on 19th March 2006
F. Health Policy
The Ashram’s participation in Health Policy initiatives included:
1. National and Regional Consultations on the preparation of the XIth Five Year Plan, Government of India.
2.
Building Child Friendly Panchayats
3. National Policy on Orphan and Vulnerable Children affected by HIV/AIDS
4. Extended immunization for Rural Children
G. HIV/AIDS – Care & Support
Besides the Aravanaippu and Prathiba Initiatives the Ashram has worked closely with other organizations at the local, national and regional levels. Some highlights are given below:
1. Joint initiative with the Positive Mothers’ Network for advocacy and care and support for OVC children.
2. The Bala Shanti Fund for Child Development gave scholarships to children affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.
3. The Ashram has provided technical support to the initiative of the Tamil Nadu Catholic Bishops Conference to build capacities of priests and nuns in all the 17 Dioceses of the State.
4. Along with the Christian Medical Association of India, the Ashram is building OVC Learning Sites for HIV/AIDS.
5. Dr. Kezevino Aram represented the Ashram on the International Study Tour to South Africa organized by South Asia Inter-religious Council and UNICEF.
6. In partnership with the World Conference on Religion and Peace, the Ashram has organized seminars, co-produced discussion papers and facilitated workshops on HIV/AIDS, particularly on the role of Faith Based Organizations. |
