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  1. Background of the Problem

Water is a basic need and according to the United Nations access to it is also a human right. It is an essential part of daily life and in maintaining good health. Safe water is utilized by humans through sanitation, food production, and hydration. Unsafe drinking water can lead to so many serious health conditions and even death. Every year many people, most especially children, suffer from dehydration and electrolyte imbalances caused by diarrheal diseases. It might be an easily preventable problem, but still many people are seriously affected by this especially those living in poverty-stricken communities where water is considered a luxury. In these areas, water sources are usually communal or public and there is no purification method used for drinking water.

In Barangay Maras, there are a couple of different water sources used by the residents and most of them are communal and are not yet confirmed to be potable.  The households situated near the highway get their drinking water from a dug wells with hand pump and a few would buy from the nearby water-refilling station. Some households are connected to the piped spring water system established by the Local Officials but the water is rationed and still limited. Along the highway, an average of 25-30 households share 1 water source. In the areas far from the main road, drinking water is taken from an open dug well or a protected spring. Purok Waling-Waling is the only purok that has no water source of its own and people would walk in distances even as far as 200 meters through dense grasslands and narrow roads on top of cliffs just to get water.  In terms of water storage and purification, the residents utilize covered containers, which most of them clean regularly, but not all purify their drinking water.

  1. Solution

To manage these problems, approaches must be focused on changing the negative practices of the community, mobilize the people, and utilize available resources to improve the situation of the water sources.

  1. Sustainability

Community involvement is the best way to ascertain sustainability of the programs that will be implemented. All throughout the process, from the identification of the problem up to the evaluation of results, the people must be actively involved to instill the sense of ownership and cooperation in them. The local leaders must also be empowered so that they will be motivated to guide the people effectively and provide independent decisions in managing the projects.

hypertension update

APRIL 2021 IMPLEMENTATION

             

 

              A year has passed and the world is still in a continuous battle with COVID-19. This pandemic has indeed made us take a step back as we advance to the uncertainties of tomorrow. Plans were put on hold and were reassess each day as we don’t know what the coming brings. Precautions are still regularly observed and strictly implemented across the country. With this crisis, most are forced to “work from home” as to reduce the transmission of the virus.  In lieu to this challenge, the group also had no choice but to implement community work from home.

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            Adjustments had to be done as we try this “implementation from home.” The group had to procure the resources needed for the implementation at their own homes. Meetings were held virtually from left to right as we try to come up with efficient solutions and measures to implement our planned activities. Efforts to keep a constant communication with point persons in the community were done despite the poor connectivity and signal. Limited movements and mass gathering participants are also taken in consideration as we continue our health campaigns and as we conduct our lectures and assemblies. It seems that challenges continue to rise from one to another as we try out to put our plans in actions in this new normal setting. But even these barriers didn’t hinder the group from maximizing what they can do for their community. 

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          The group maximized their resources and what they can do as they try to implement their plans from a distance. Consistent communication with various point persons headed by the Public Health Nurse (PHN), Ma'am Ailyn Catalan, was ensured for a smooth implementation of the program. 

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              Intensification of health campaign was done through distribution of IEC materials on hypertension, which were created and printed by the researchers in Zamboanga City and were sent through a carrier to a point-person in Barangay Maras, to the residents as well as text brigade advisories. Following the COVID-19 health protocols, last April 23, 2021, a lecture on hypertension was also conducted to further raise awareness on hypertension. During the lecture proper and consultation of residents at the health center, blood pressure monitoring was done and the masterlist of pre-hypertensive, undiagnosed hypertensive, and diagnosed hypertensive patients was updated. Booklets were distributed as well which will aid in monitoring their blood pressures.

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             For continuous updates and activities on hypertension, a Maras health board was constructed at the barangay health center to keep the residents informed. A referral algorithm was created and posted at the barangay health center to keep the barangay health workers guided. Online implementation were taken in consideration as well. A Maras Facebook page was created to further keep in reach with some of the residents. Daily updates and reminders as well as video campaigns on hypertension are posted in page.

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                 Overall, everything went smoothly and as planned. It actually turned out better than what we expected. Though connectivity and limited man power continues to be an issue, the group was still able to pull it off. The group is proud and happy that despite the distance, the community was able to do well on their own. This proves that as early as now that the community may be able to sustain their program plans independently.

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April 2021 Accomplishments:

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  • Procurement of two blood pressure apparatus

  • Lecture on Hypertension

  • Distribution of IEC materials

  • Distribution of BP monitoring booklets

  • Text Brigade Advisory

  • Maras Health Board construction

  • Creation of Referral Algorithm

  • Update of Masterlist

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Upcoming Activities:

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  • Following the protocols of social distancing, wearing of face masks, disinfection, and limiting movement to only essentials in the context of COVID-19 New Normal Setting, the following upcoming activities are as follows:

    • Conduction of Trainings and Seminars

      • In line with the Health Education and Awareness Campaign, the team will conduct trainings and seminars on monitoring, case findings, classification and referrals of hypertensive patients

    • Initiate the Creation of BP Check-up stations:

      • Set up an accessible BP station for every purok assigned by a BHW or trained volunteers to monitor and record BP results

    • Procurement of antihypertensive medications

    • Endorsement of Barangay Ordinance on non-communicable diseases​

    • Mobilization Resource from Private Sectors

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