ZANE Medical and Nutrition Clinics
Updated October 2009
Nutrition
ZANE provides two Nutrition clinics. The names of the communities have been omitted for security reasons.
Community A
The nutrition clinic continues once a month in Community A. The World
Food Programme continues to provide food relief to the most vulnerable
households and people living with AIDS. The need for ZANE to
provide nutritional supplementation apart from infant formula has therefore
been greatly reduced and we are able to concentrate on other areas where
the needs of the urban poor are not being addressed.
Community B
Community B, which has a population of approximately 400,000
people, is proving to be a challenging area for the ZANE team. The people
are dominated by politically motivated local leadership, dependency cycles
and a concomitant poverty mindset.
In order to meet some of these challenges, we are working together with the
Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) organisation which has been present in the
area for the past 5 years and has established a clinic which provides HIV care
and treatment and a therapeutic feeding scheme for babies and children
suffering from malnutrition. Unfortunately the MSF clinic does not have the
capacity to meet the medical and nutritional needs of this severely
economically challenged community.
The MSF team together with ZANE are partnering to provide
medical care and nutritional support to as many people as we are able to. The
challenge for the ZANE team is to build the relationships with the people
through the Community Health Worker network, in order that each individual
who receives assistance from us is ministered to body, soul and spirit and that
we do not become just another NGO that gives ‘handouts’.
Primary Health Care
ZANE conducts three primary health care clinics.
Community A
We conducted one primary health care clinic in the month of August and we
saw 7 patients. Most people are now being referred to the municipal clinic in
Community A by the Community Health Workers (CHWs). The relationship with the
local clinic staff and the CHWs is excellent and we are confident that the
community is now able to access adequate primary health care.
Community B
The number of patients attending the ZANE primary care clinic continues to
increase each month. As in Community C, much of the disease we
see is related to AIDS.
The CHWs approached the ZANE team requesting assistance in organising a
health education programme with a specific emphasis on HIV/AIDS. The first
community health workshop held in August was well attended by the people.
One client shared the powerful story of her own struggles with AIDS, and
many people approached the medical team requesting help and support as
they disclosed the fact that they were also HIV-infected.
We will continue to partner with MSF and the CHWs in Community B to bring
primary care and health education to this vulnerable community.
Community C
It has been most gratifying to watch the newly trained CHWs in this community
take ownership of the healthcare of their people. The ZANE team holds a weekly
primary care clinic and the CHWs bring those people who are in need of medical
care. Much of the disease in this community is AIDS-related and in the month of
October we will be assisting the community leaders in holding workshops on HIV
and AIDS.
To make sure that this vital work continues, please donate today.
|
