TRIBAL HEALTH INITIATIVETRIBAL HEALTH INITIATIVE

Experiments in community health care

helping tribals heal themselves…….

Tribals are the indigenous people of India

Red Indians of the Americas

Aborigines of Australia

Invocation

To the tribal Gods who protect our people

Some information about India

4 of the 10 richest men live here 46 dollar billionaires 100 people in Fortune 500 Fast growing middle class IT ‘super power’ Moon mission

Some facts about ‘Bharat’ 60 – 70% population live in villages Medical expenses form 58% of total income Medical care is the 2nd most common cause

of rural debt 24% of rural population don’t seek health care

because they can’t afford it 40% borrow heavily for sickness 16% fall below poverty line Health expenditure is 0.9% of GDP

Source: 2007 National Sample Survey

VISION

Attainment of the highest possible level of health for the

people of Sittilingi valley

The Need for Today

Health Care

available

Affordable

acceptable

Sittilingi Valley …..enveloped by the Kalvarayan and Sitheri hill ranges

Sittilingi and the Avalur valleys have 21 hamlets which are home to about 10,000 people of whom 95% are tribals

A small beginning…..

In 1993 Tribal Health Initiative started off in a small hut

…team of 4 people

The Base Hospital

The Base Hospital now has 24 beds with about 1200 admissions a year

Seeing patients in our OP

Out patients are seen 3 days a week . About 100 – 130 patients use the facility daily of whom more than 70% are tribals.

In 2007 we provided service to 17660 people

All Lab investigations including Biochemistry

X-rays, ECGs & ultrasound

Diagnostic Facilities

In partnership with the GovernmentCenter for Tuberculosis

Counseling and testing center for HIV

Leprosy treatment Center

Deliveries & Neonatal Care

Ante,Intra & Post Natal care.

Advanced Neonatal care

About 30 deliveries a month and 3 - 4 for neonatal care per month

Surgical Work

About 20–30 surgeries every month including emergencies

Government recognized center for family planning surgeries

Go to the people, live with them, begin with what they know, build with what they have. And when you have completed your work, the people will say they have done it themselves

Lao Tse

Health Worker (HW) Training

Training in progress

Training is residential for 1 ½ years and open to only tribal girls. 5 batches of 6 girls each have been trained.

6th batch of training going on

HWs’ manage most of the Hospital

In the Wards Dispensing in the OPD

•See Out patients 3 days a week

•Conduct deliveries and assist surgeries

•Manage Ward, Lab, Xray/ECG

Health Worker – Advanced Training

Health Workers also do minor surgical procedures and anesthesia

Health Auxiliary (HA) training

Learning to weigh

Learning to count respiration

HA training had been for 1 ½ years, for 2 days every fortnight. They still come back every month for 2 days to refresh and share knowledge and data.

Community Health – 1st Tier

•Weighing babies in the field

•Teaching oral dehydration

•Discussing community problems

Community Health – 2nd Tier

Health Workers now plan, implement and follow up the Community Health Program

Field Clinics on 2 days a week.

Pregnant mothers & young children seen

Health Education is the focus

All newborns are seen within one week

Health at the doorstep

HIV prevention work

Started Education on HIV

HIV Counseling & Testing

Treatment of secondary infectionsReady for HIV deliveries

Street plays HIV education in schools

Achievements

No mothers died in child birth – 5 years Infant deaths – from 147/1000 to 32/1000 Malnutrition – down by 50 % Pregnant mothers check up – from 11%

to 95 % Almost 100% completion of treatment

in tuberculosis

That formal education is mandatory to do health care is a myth

Help people heal themselves…..

Stabilised Mud Blocks for Buildings Solar Water Heating Solar Lighting & Water Pumping Biogas from Kitchen & Hospital Waste Drip Irrigation & Rain Water Collection Minimising Disposable materials

There is enough in our world for everyone’s need, but not for anyone’s greed

Mahatma Gandhi

Freedom to learn

Thulir – the educational initiative runs a Resource Center for children

Basic Skills course for school dropouts

Back to Roots

In 2003 , after a 10 year evaluation

we decided to go back to the people

Farming Initiative

•15 Farmers groups [men & women]

•From 4 to 80 organic farmers in 3 years

•Collective selling and buying

•Exposure visits & classes from experts

Women entrepreneurs

Shirts with Sittilingi cotton

Marketing

organically grown by traditional methods

1. ragi   2. ragi powder   3. sprouted ragi powder   4. millet mix   5. bajra   6. bajra powder   7. little millet [samai]   8. bengal gram   9. black gram  10. horse gram  11. field bean  12. tur dhal  

13. ground nut  14. rice [red]  15. coconut oil  16. sunflower oil  17. jaggery  18. coriander  19. coriander powder  20. turmeric  21. turmeric powder  22. chilly  23. chilly powder  24. maize  25. foxtail millet

Craft Initiative

Porgai ……..sharing pride

Trade agreement with Fairgrounds UK

Community Initiatives Community certificates Mullikadu dam

Secretary for Rural Development meets villagers

Anti-plastic rally

Future Plans

Start work in the Kalrayan Hills Training more Health Workers More farmers groups Organic Certification Local markets for Porgai

THANK YOU