Public Health Project
Cheerful Hearts Foundation (CHF) recognizes the correlation between poverty in poor health across developing countries similar to Ghana. Cases of diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and diarrhea, are increasingly high within rural areas due to lack of proper resources and health care. CHF has therefore placed great importance on health work in the Kasoa area. In order to help alleviate many of these endemic health problems, CHF works closely with local administrators, community members and stake holders to improve the health of the surrounding area. We are involved in several projects, each of which aims to provide long-lasting impacts and emphasize prevention. These projects include education in schools, assisting at the local health clinic, and several other projects.
As a volunteer, you will travel with the public health team and conducts health talks to the students at district schools. The topics of these talks include symptoms, treatment, and prevention of malaria, HIV/AIDS, diarrhea and more. CHF aims to utilize the power of the youth to lead change in their communities by providing them the knowledge for action.
Additionally, CHF works closely with the Kasoa Health Centre which is the only government health clinic in the area with over 100,000 people in its catchment area. Our volunteers work at the clinic, assisting in many departments from vaccinations and routine child health examinations to maternal care. When working with mothers, we educate them on maternal health and family planning.
The public health team is also regularly involved in research projects. CHF believes that in order to best serve the community, we must constantly assess the needs of the community as well as the efficacy of our efforts. While these projects change on a regular basis, below are the research efforts currently underway:
- A research project with the Kasoa Health Centre to identify key long-term needs of the clinic and pinpoint how CHF can most effectively aid their efforts.
- An assessment of the efficacy of our school talks to gauge not only the information being retained by the students but also any behavioral change.
