This project will provide salaries for two Community Health Counselors with formal training in HIV/AIDS support services, to serve more than 6,000 residents of an informal settlement area in Namibia. Named the "DRC", this community will soon receive a maternal child health clinic operated by Containers 2 Clinics (C2C). Funding for Community Health Counselors will ensure that new mothers can access educational health sessions and receive home visits to prevent post-partum complications.
According to a WHO/UNICEF joint report, 3.7 million babies die annually during their first month of life- and many of these deaths can be prevented through home visits during those weeks. Namibia in particular struggles with alarming maternal and child mortality rates. Currently ranked 168 out of 191 countries for global health indicators, many Namibian women go without basic health education and follow-up treatment after giving birth.
Hiring two Community Health Counselors will expand the services of C2C's maternal child health clinic. These trained professionals will provide sessions on healthy pregnancy, breastfeeding, safe sex and the prevention of STIs, adolescent health and sex education, and nutrition and hygiene. In addition, they will perform home visits to provide critical support and care for new mothers during the newborn's first weeks of life.
6,000 residents currently live in the community that will be served by these counselors- a number that is expected to triple in the next year. By providing health education on critical topics, these Community Counselors will reduce long-term rates of disease and mortality in the currently under served community.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
