Health Care on Grassroot Level: An Idea in its Infancy

Abstract

In some of the worlds poorest countries there is a lack of safe and adequate water supply and poor health awareness. This is caused by a combination of lack of knowledge, illiteracy, superstition and deep rooted traditions within the community combined with poverty and dire living conditions. The result has been that preventable diseases like diarrhoea, common cold, dysentery, etc. have become rampant. In this context very simple and less costly health programmes could make a difference. Our idea is to reach out to where people live, to the small villages and communities, and aim at changing their practice through information given in a relaxed context. Health awareness is our goal. Essential health topics targeting in particular illiterate women presented as computer programs using icons and speech recognition. Step by step drawings, and in the local language, developed in cooperation with national authorities and implemented by the National Red Cross/Red Crescent Society. The preliminary SWOT analysis highlights: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the programme as basis for setting up some preconditions for success. Finally are listed some of the tasks that have to be done for the continuation of the idea.