Community Health Worker Workshop: 4th - 7th February, 2014.

The Minister for Health, Dr Neil Sharma had visited the Health Centre late last year and was impressed with the VSHC Community Health Worker (CHW) program and asked the NCD team to conduct training for the CHW’s from the Central Division. This workshop (third so far) commenced on the 4th of February and concluded on the 7th of February. It was conducted in partnership with Ministry of Health (MOH). A total of nine participants (1 male and 8 females) were selected from the Central Division by MOH to undergo this training at VSHC.

                                                             CHW’s presenting at the Workshop

CHWs role is expected to be Wellness Advocates in the communities.

The weeklong workshop included topics such as:

- Non-Communicable Disease’s

- Reproductive Health

- Sanitation and Vector control

- Child health

- Care of the Chronically ill and elderly in the Community

- Mental Health

There were presentations on wellness, risk factors for NCD’s, introduction to SNAP, choosing the right food, hidden fats, sugar in processed foods, explaining diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases to CHW’s. In addition to this the curriculum included discussing good nutrition, benefits of physical activity and how to engage the community in physical activity.

The reproductive health component of the workshop included empowerment of women, self-awareness and values, care of adolescents and teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, cervical cancer, Pap smear, contraceptive and family planning and maternal child health. The nurses presented on neonatal nutrition, child health and post-partum care.

The Divisional Health Inspector took the CHW’s for a field visit into Viseisei Village and later gave a presentation on sanitation and vector control issues. Some of the other topics presented were on men’s health, mental health, and care for chronically ill and elderly in the community.

The participants also engaged in healthy cooking and physical activity. At the end of the workshop each participant were awarded with a certificate of participation.

Overall the program has been a success as we have again been invited by the MOH to conduct another round of trainings for the Suva – Nausori CHW’s.

We are very grateful to the following guest speakers for giving up there valuable time to contribute to this training Workshop:

- Dr Isimeli Tukana
- Dr Joe Felsen
- Manasa Racava - Divisional Health Inspector
- Dr Aseta Vakasigaleka – Pediatrician
- Elizabeth - Dietician  – MOH

The team of Trainers from VSHC included:

- Professor Rajat Gyaneshwar
- Mosese Baseisei – Health Promotion Officer
- Namrata Patel – NCD Nurse
- Benjamin Narayan – Health Educator
- Jytotishna Naidu – Research Assistant
- Sheetal Naidu – Research Coordinator
- Sister Akisi Daivalu
- Associate Professor Swaran Naidu
- Amelia Ake – RH Nurse
- George Qalomaiwasa – Health Educator
- Seremaia Koroi – Health Educator
- Jokapeci Tokalau – Health Educator
- Sokoveti Ravula – Staff Nurse
- Jijilia Koroi – Staff Nurse