Health Education Among the Ultra-poor

Summary

To improve health among the school children in the Surmang catchment by advancing health education

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

There are over 300 children in this region who attend primary school. Their families are nomads and farmers who make less that US14¢/day. The schools are unheated and have broken windows and mud floors; no soccer pitches, no basketball courts. Are attended by children who have no soap, toothbrushes, one set of clothing.

How will this project solve this problem?

Provide stoves, repair windows, install floors; install soccer and basketball courts; blackboards, desks chairs, pencils, notebooks, winter clothing, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap. Comm. Health Workers teach health ed., visits by Surmang's docs

Potential Long Term Impact

Decrease in chronic upper GI problems; Decrease of tooth loss due to infection, lack of early detection. Decrease in iodine-deficiency through regular examination. Decrease in flu-type virus due to lack of clothing and heat

Project Message

"We can have a big impact on the health of these very poor people by teaching them when they are young, when the teachers are their own people. We can influence public health education by example."
- Phuntsok Dongdrup, Clinic Director, Surmang Foundation

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources