Promoting primary health in Belize
Holland, J.
Health Visitor 56(11): 400-401
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0017-9140 PMID: 6558040 Document Number: 214283
This article describes a 2-year project aimed at promoting primary health in a rural area of Belize with little access to health services. 27 mobile clinics were scheduled every 6 weeks. Services focused on immunization, development of a health education program, prenatal and postnatal care, and child health. A correlation was noted between the facilities available in each community (e.g. water supply) and the state of that community's health. Although family planning could not be promoted because of the government's pronatalist policy, birth spacing and breastfeeding were advocated. Project activities in the village of Santa Familia provide an example of community participation in health programs. A local lay midwife was given a traditional birth attenders course and trained to lead health education courses in the village. A community health council was established to initiate 3 projects: preschool nursery, cleaning up of the village, and latrine construction. As part of a campaign against hookworm, schoolchildren are required to wear shoes. The goal of these projects was to ensure that the villages would continue to take an interest in personal and community welfare after the departure of the health workers.