Mewat Educational & Development Society (MEDS)

Knowledge Centre

In India, chronic diseases were the reason for 53 per cent of all deaths in 2005 (External website that opens in a new window) . Of these 29 per cent were due to cardiovascular diseases that include heart attacks, coronary artery disease and strokes. The occurrence of diabetes in urban Indians is the second highest in the world; with approximately 12 per cent of adults developing the disease. Also, the use of tobacco is known to contribute to 56.4 per cent and 44.9 per cent of cancers in men and women, respectively.

Fortunately, most of these diseases can be easily prevented through simple steps like following a proper diet and exercising regularly. This Knowledge Centre of our Health Section aims to provide Indian citizens with health related tips and other information to help better their physical condition and wellbeing. It also provides guidelines on health care for common diseases and first aid tips for those emergency situations.

Tools for Teaching

Flannel-graphs are good for talking with groups because you can keep making new pictures. Cover a square board or piece of cardboard with a flannel cloth. You can place different cutout drawings or photos on it. Strips of sandpaper or flannel glued to the backs of cutouts help them stick to the flannel-board.

Posters and displays. "A picture is worth a thousand words." Simple drawings, with or without a few words of information, can be hung in the health post or anywhere that people will look at them. You can copy some of the pictures from this book.

If you have trouble getting sizes and shapes right, draw light even squares in pencil over the picture you want to copy.

Now draw the same number of squares lightly, but larger, on the poster paper or cardboard. Then copy the drawing, square for square.

If possible, ask village artists to draw or paint posters. Or have children make posters on different subjects.

Models and demonstrations help get ideas across. For example, if you want to talk with mothers and midwives about care in cutting the cord of a new born child, you can make a doll for the baby. Pin a cloth cord to its belly. Experienced midwives can demonstrate to others.

Colour slides and filmstrips are available on different health subjects for many parts of the world. Some come in sets that tell a story. Simple viewers and battery-operated projectors are also available.

Other Ways to Get Ideas Across

Story telling. When you have a hard time explaining something, a story, especially a true one, will help make your point.

For example, if I tell you that sometimes a village worker can make a better diagnosis than a doctor, you may not believe me. But if I tell you about a village health worker called Nisha, who runs a small nutrition centre, you may understand.

One day a small sickly child arrived at the nutrition center. He had been sent by the doctor at a nearby health center because he was badly malnourished. The child also had a cough and the doctor had prescribed a cough medicine. Nisha was worried about the child. She knew he came from a very poor family and that an elder brother had died a few weeks before. She went to visit the family and learned that the elder brother had been very sick for a long time and had coughed blood. Nisha went to the health center and told the doctor she was afraid the child had tuberculosis. Tests were made, and it turned out that Nisha was right..... So you see, the health worker spotted the real problem before the doctor - because she knew her people and visited their homes.

Stories also make learning more interesting. It helps if health workers are good story tellers.

Play acting. Stories that make important points can reach people with even more force if they are acted out. Perhaps you, the schoolteacher, or someone on the health committee can plan short plays or 'skits' with the schoolchildren.

For example, to make the point that food should be protected from flies to prevent the spread of disease, several small children could dress up as flies and buzz around food. The flies may infect the food that has not been covered. The children eat this food and get sick. But the flies cannot get to food kept in a box with a wire screen front. So the children who eat this food stay well.

Working and Learning Together for the Common Good

There are may ways to interest and involve people in working together to meet their common needs. Here are a few ideas:

• A village health committee. A group of able, interested persons can be chosen by the village to help plan and lead activities relating to the well-being of the community - for example, digging garbage pits or latrines. The health worker can and should share much of her responsibility with other persons.
• Group discussions. Mothers, fathers, schoolchildren, young people, traditional healers, or other groups can discuss needs and problems that affect health. Their chief purpose can be to help people share ideas and build on what they already know.
• Work festivals. Community projects such as putting in water system or cleaning up the village go quickly and can be fun if everybody helps. Games, races, refreshments, and simple prizes help turn work into play. Use imagination.
• Cooperatives. People can help keep prices down by sharing tools, storage, and perhaps land. Group cooperation can have a big influence on people's well-being.
• Classroom visits. Work with the village schoolteacher to encourage health-related activities, through demonstrations and play acting. Also invite small groups of students to come to the health center. Children not only learn quickly, but they can help out in many ways. If you give children a chance, they gladly become a valuable resource.
• Mother and child health meetings. It is especially important that pregnant women and mothers of small children (under five) be well informed about their own and their babies' health needs. Regular visits to the health post are opportunities for both check-ups and learning. Have mothers keep their children's health records and bring them each month to have their children's age and weight recorded. Mothers who understand the Health Chart often take pride in making sure their children are eating and growing well. They can learn to understand them even if they cannot read. Perhaps you can help train interested mothers to organize and lead these activities.
• Home visits. Make friendly visits to people's homes, especially homes of family who have special problems, who do not come often to the health post, or who do not take part in group activities. But respect people's privacy. If your visit cannot be friendly, do not make it - unless children or defenceless persons are in danger.