Inital Evaluation of Health

Some initial observations on what issues there are in the health of the people and the health care they can receive.

They do have pharmacies, not that I know what they sell yet.

There are sporadic clinics, some religiously funded, others for specifics, like childbirth. These buildings are all very open air which is distressing since so many of Ghana's major illnesses can be spread by insect vectors (yellow fever, malaria, sleeping sickness...).

What strikes me the most is the sanitation. The streets are lined with open air gutters running in front of the homes. These are filled with trash and liquid. People will openly urinate into the gutters and also dump refuse. To fall in one with any open wound would certainly suggest impending illness. They can also serve as a breeding ground for insects. Posing multiple large scale health risks.

The fact that trash is simply discarded where one stands does not improve the situation. The litter builds up in the gutters, stopping whatever flow there was, and also providing a home for other issue vectors, like mice and rats.  The smell of it all is off-putting, and suggests that there is an issue at hand.

The cars, taxis, trucks, and motorcycles also create large scale air pollution. They are all older models and therefore have no emission regulations or buffers. Driving behind a truck means breathing in black clouds of diesel smoke, which cannot be good for one's health. Additionally this is all going into the atmosphere, and us Americans can already suggest some after effects of that.

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I met with my project partner today, Nicholas. He is a very driven individual who believes in making a better world for future generations. He was/is a nurse and founded HEPENS in 2008. Today it is finally being recognized formally as an NGO (the last piece of paperwork is going through now!). We have a website built, curtisy of Lucus- a former volunteer, but can only upload the site once our NGO status comes through. Once that is accomplished all of you can check out the site and learn a little bit more about HEPENS! (And donate through PAYPAL since we also just opened a bank account for the project instead of using Nicholas's private account...)

For now, here is our logo:

And the motto is: Think positive, speak positive.

Since it is a fledgling NGO the resources are limited but as a proworld volunteer some of my internship fees are diverted into to project.
Here is what we are looking to do in my three months.
1. Have weekly community outreach programs. My first one is this Wednesday in Kakumdo.
2. Have as many outreach programs into the schools as possible. Children are the future! So if we can teach them, they can teach others, and in an ideal world everything will be better in the end.
3. Offer clinical care to diagnose patients for common, but typically undiagnosed issues: Hypertension and diabetes especially.

So here is what my budget is going to:

Medically/Environmentally Relevant Stuff

-Stethoscopes
-Blood Glucose meters
-Blood Glucose meter strips
-Blood pressure cuffs
-Toothbrushes
-Disposable gloves
-Condoms
-Water buckets
-Waste baskets
-Patient record books
-Expert fees

Other Stuff
-Printing
-Transport fees
-Phone credits

Future Desired Stuff not within the budget
-Computer
-Printer
-Ink
-Camera
-Projector

My initial projects are a lot to take on when thinking about all of the aspects of them. However, the short list is:
-Finding and applying for grants
-Community outreach
-School outreach

While Danielle and I are teaching our topics for outreach are:
-Cervical cancer
-Menopause
-Tuberculosis
-Diabetes Melitus
-Hepatitis B
-HIV/AIDS
-Stress & Mental health
-Flu
-Tetanus
-Rabies

Possible future goals for the organization are:
-Applying for and acquiring grant funds for development of a formal office, a community center, and a clinical compound.
-Affiliation with a medical school or hospital in the states allowing for shared medical learn, acquiring new techniques, and ability to exchange (read "send to Africa") medical supplies- like gauze, wraps, syringes, glucose meter strips, and all other disposable items that are readily needed but not readily available.
-Acquiring DVDs and documentaries to aid in outreach and teaching.
-Acquiring books and other written materials to aid in creating an accessible database for community members to use within the community center.

With all this said, the project is going to be multi-faceted and all encompassing. We will be to as many schools and communities as possible. Nicholas really wants to make the biggest impact possible, and hopefully Danielle and I will be able to aid in that quest.