Health

Health makes everything easier

Health is a new field for us and we are only at the very beginning. Discussions with the head of the Health Centre have revealed that the most common illnesses are diarrhoeal diseases. Malnutrition is also common. A more detailed analysis of the situation is still pending.

In our project area, there is a ‘health post’ in each cell (approx. 7,000 inhabitants), where nurses provide the most necessary care. At sector level (in our case approx. 34,000 inhabitants) there is a health centre that is better equipped. Here, too, there are generally no trained doctors. The nearest district hospital is about an hour's drive away (by car or motorbike) and has full medical care.

The poorest section of the population has basic health insurance, which is paid for by the state. Families who are not classified in the poorest group sometimes have no health insurance at all.

Initial measures

Some necessary measures are already clear from discussions and our work in the project area:

• Measures to improve drinking water hygiene
• Improving school meals, e.g. by creating school gardens
• Support for the renovation of the health centre

All our fields of action