Health project is one of the three projects that has been Shangri-La Development Association’s focus since its inception. SDA works for the awareness and upliftment of health literacy in the community with the existing health structures of the government.
Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs), Women/Mothers Group, Child-club, and health centres are the mediums through which SDA conducts its health-related interventions in the community.
Since its foundation year, Shangri-La Development Association has worked with Katunje Health Post. And from the year 2021, SDA has stepped in to support two more Health Posts. They are; Niiko Health Post at Kailash-07, Tamlang and Bharta Punyadevi Health Post, Kailash- 08, Bharta.
Health awareness in Chepang Community
Chepangs are a small tribe of hunter and gatherers who have been living in the south central region of Nepal. Gorkha, Dhading, Makwanpur and Chitwan are the districts where Chepangs have lived predominantly for many generations.
In recent decades, generations of Chepang communities have settled down in these districts and left their semi-nomadic lifestyle behind. It is crucial to integrate these small communities into society.
The Chepang community, struck hard by poverty, has visibly low awareness of the importance of health and sanitation. Malnourishment has been a pressing issue for years now.
Chepangs have relied on forest resources for a long time which may be a natural way to live but have certain disadvantages. Indoor cooking on firewood is hazardous to health and a safety issue. The number of vaccinations in the community is also on the lower side.
Goals
The goal of Health Intervention under SSLI was to improve the health status and basic livelihoods of the poor and marginalised communities and sustain these improvements
Objectives
- To strengthen the network institutions of the community groups like the mother’s group in the existing project areas to sustain the health and development activities in the communities.
- To improve health behaviours and provide access to primary health care services for the people of Kailash Rural Municipality, strengthening the capacity of local health facility staff and management committee.
- To achieve 100% access to basic sanitation in Kalikatar and Bharta of Makawanpur through research and survey on public health issues with local participation.
- To develop public relationships, implement public health activities based on needs and solve problems from the ground level.
- To improve access to resources and developmental activities for the empowerment of the ultra-poor communities in the project areas, along with the disabled communities.
- To promote the maternal and child health status and reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in the communities through different health projects and activities.
The health project also does various OTP (One Time Project). Under this, SDA has built a Birthing Centre at a supported health post, Katunje Health Post in Kailash-03, Kalikatar.
Some of the activities done under the SDA Health Project
1. Emergency Fund Support
This support entails providing funds to the people in times of need. The focus group for the fund are all the people in Kailash-03, Kailash-04, Kailash-07, and Kailash-08.
2. Newborn Support
SDA provides newborn support packages to mothers who had their institutional delivery and 4 ANC visits at the supported health post, like Katunje Health Post and Bharta Punyadevi Health Post.
The newborn support package includes, baby Soap, baby Shampoo, Innerwear, petticoat for mothers, towels, soap shampoo for mothers, pads, nylon rope, nail cutter, mug, bucket, comb, etc. to promote both mothers and child hygiene.
3. Malnutrition Health Camp, Follow Up and Referral Service for Malnourished Children with Collaboration with NRH
SDA also conducts Malnutrition Health Camps to identify malnourished children of Kailash Rural Municipality at different locations via mutual collaboration with Nepal Youth Foundation, Kathmandu and Kailash Rural Municipality.
After the camp, if the parents agree, the malnourished children are taken to NRH, located at Sunakothi, Lalitpur, for further treatment with no charges and return home once they are healthy.
4. Improve cooking stove, Installation, and Follow Up
In this program, SDA provides a smokeless stove and training on the installation and use of the smokeless stove. It is an attempt to minimise the risk of diseases caused due to the smoke of the traditional stoves.
5. Sanitary Pad Making Training
Here, SDA conducts training to inform people in the community about menstrual hygiene and promotes sanitary pads at the household level to prevent infection caused by non-sterile clothes.
6. School Screening Program:
In this program, SDA finds the possible health-related problems at the school level and tries to minimise the risk with the local resources of that area.
Implementation Model of Health Project
