ABOUT US
Sri Lanka is low middle income country with good maternal and child health indices. The credit should go to the free health and education services provided by the government. Sri Lankan health needs are now dominated by non-communicable diseases (NCD) and issues related to increasing ageing population. These are projected to further increase due to unhealthy lifestyles, suboptimal risk factors modification. Unfortunately the prevailing health system struggle to stratify the ever increasing health needs.
The epidemic of Non Communicable Diseases not only affecting the economic growth but continuously increasing the health care expenditure per person. Thus the system of free government health care services would be further challenged and stressed. As a result significant amount of out-of-pocket expenditure has to be borne by the people. The high out of pocket expenditure might reduce the patient potential to follow the NCD care. The care further low in rural areas because of inadequate health care facilities and patients poor socioeconomic status. Here Universal health coverage is of utmost importance, where health care services will be provided equally and equitably in high quality with financial protection for all residence. Therefore the focus of NCD care should be cost effective and ensure Universal health coverage.
Whole system approach with active community involvement is recommend by WHO to provide cost effective health care with Universal coverage. However, Potential weakness in Sri Lankan health system has been identified in order to provide Whole system approach. The weakness are, inadequate of human and physical resources, suboptimal primary care services, Poor leader ship skills, Lack of monitoring, lack of continuity of care with totally fragmented health care services. At the same time, several activities divided among various units without proper coordination and monitoring leads to duplication of activities, low quality services and lack of accountability.
Department of Community and Family medicine and AHEAD trust jointly identified a pragmatic way to implement Whole system approach with active community involvement. That is “Rural community empowerment in a community oriented primary care”. It is been piloted in a geographical defined Targeted population; Nallur medical officer of health area. Such an initiative could also be used as a model across the whole country and even other LMICs with similar challenges in detecting and managing NCDs.
MISSION
“Highest attainable wellbeing will be achieved by improving rural communities educational, economical, spiritual ,psycho-social and physical status through working as partners with public , ensuring their access to best available comprehensive, good quality, cost-effective and sustainable services and capacity-building at the community and local government levels to provide optimum amenities.”
VISION
Achieve highest attainable general wellbeing in rural communities of Sri Lanka.
ACTION PLAN
- Organizing panel of experts: Education, Health and research, Economy, Information technology, culture
2.Supporting public forums: Community welfare societies, youth clubs, mothers club, senior citizen society, school health clubs,
3.Conducting continuous professional development programs
4.Empowering and encouraging self-employments
5.Involving lay people as active partners in health care delivery
6.Coordinating multiple stake holders whom involving in community wellbeing.
7. Conducting research pertaining to community wellbeing
OBJECTIVES
- To empower community for maintaining and promoting their wellbeing
- To capacity-building at the community and public sector levels through efficient Public private partnerships
- Community level : strengthen local community leadership and team sprit
- To support public sectors :Human resource Management ,Finance management, Technical and continuous professional development
- To conduct research to add new knowledge pertaining to rural community development
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Professional education and development programs are being conducted with the collaboration of Family health center, Department of community and family medicine, University of Jaffna and MOH office Nallur.
- Health volunteer / Health assistance
Training programs were conducted among village youth as a part of empowerment project and many young school leavers were trained to work in the community as health volunteers and health assistance.
These trained volunteers are involving community health project like home visit and public health education activities along with health professionals.
- paramedical staff Training
- Medical professional continuous education programs
- Undergraduate education at the field level
2. SELF- EMPLOYMENTS
Self-employment activities have been operating in different social level through mothers’ club and Women self-employment projects
3. PEOPLE AS ACTIVE PARTNERS IN HEALTH CARE DELIVERY
Community members as active partners in health care delivery
Health volunteers from villages were trained to deliver the health services.
They visit to home medical care with health care professionals and help in various screening programs at fields and practice care.
Community Healthcare assistant is helping the Healthy Life Clinic at a family Health Center
Information Technology and Social media awareness delivered by Health assistance
2. COORDINATING MULTIPLE STAKE HOLDERS
Public involvement to support the health care delivery
Celebration of 5th anniversary of Community Oriented primary care model
5. CULTURAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES OF PUBLIC FORUMS
Appreciation to those who participated the family Health day competition
Community Staff facilitation
Public education:
Public awareness activities is conducted every month at the Health clinics by MOH,Nallur and special programs are being conducted in timely manner .E.g- Non communicable disease awareness and screening, Dengue awareness and environmental protection activities