Healthy Women, Healthy families

Dear Supporter, 

Diakonia Agapes expresses its thanks for your continuous support towards the project: “Healthy Women, Healthy Families” which is implemented in Kuçova Municipality. Diakonia Agapes continued its efforts to fundraise during June – August 2018 and due to your support we were able to establish a group of 20 Health Outreach Activists (HOA) in Kuçova Municipality. The group attended the three one-day workshops that focused on:

• Health Outreach Activist and the community mobilization;
• Cervical Cancer and the importance of PAP-test;
• Sexually transmitted infections.

Most of the participants expressed that it was the fist time for them to participate in Health Outreach activities. Having HOA in the community beside the primary health care personnel, ensures reaching more people in the community, providing health information for the importance of periodical check ups as well as builds the bridge of collaboration between the citizens and the primary health care personnel.

By attending the workshops the HOA received information related to: the role of the HOA, community mobilization, what are the rights of the patients, the role of the primary health care personnel for the health of the community; Symptoms of the Cervical Cancer, what is PAP-test and when is performed; Symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Infection and its treatment. During all the sessions the importance of the periodical check ups for women was emphasized. Healthier the women could better serve their families and their communities. 

In the following period all the HOA will establish their women’s groups in their respective areas where they will organize health meetings related to the cervical cancer, PAP-test and Sexually Transmitted Infections. 

There were 2 gynecological examinationsconducted in Kuçova Municipality and 41femaleswere examinedby the medical team (the gynecologist and the lab technician). There were in total 17 PAP – Tests conducted. The majority of women who did the vaginal smear test resulted with vaginal infection (different level of purity) due to the low level of personal hygiene of the reproductive organs, low level of information related to the STI as well as low number of the primary health care providers in the area. Women who had symptoms of Sexually Transmitted infection were sent to specialized clinics for further examinations. The results of the visit and prescription for each woman were written in the health notebook published in the project framework by the gynaecologist. 

Stories from the field: 

A 22 years old girl who recently returned from Greece participated in the health meeting and later she did the gynaecological analyse.  From the analyse resulted that she had level IV of impurities and symptoms of STI-s. A treatment was given and she will do further examinations at a specialized clinic. She was satisfied that the medical team was in her place and she was able to get examined.

Another lady from Kuçova area did a PAP-test that resulted with Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance (ASC-US). A treatment was given to the lady and she will come to repeat the PAP-test after the treatment. If she will have the same result she will be sent for further examination for colposcopy and Cytology.

Dear supporters, we ask you to continue to financially support our project, in helping us to reach women in rural areas and provide health assistance to them. 

Dear supporter,

Diakonia Agapes express its thanks for your support to our project that made possible to offer medical service for rural women of Tapi administrative unit of Kuçova during March - May 2018.

Organization of two workshops with 35 Health Outreach Activists (female who act as community mobilizers) focused on cervical cancer and the importance of PAP test; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; the importance of periodical check ups as well as how to improve the relation with primary health care workers. The trained women shared the information with other women in their respective areas. The women expressed that it was the first time for them to engage in such action, to receive information for the above issues, to share their challenges for the regular screening, and they got the message: ”It is better to prevent than to treat”.

During the 5 gynaecological examinations of the medical team (a gynaecologist and a lab technician) in the area there were in total 117 women screened for Sexually Transmitted Diseases through the smear test and 35 PAP Test were done for the women at the high risks. The tests showed that 85 % of the women screened had a vaginal infection of different stages. Also 8 women out of 35 who conducted the PAP Test were in the early stages of cervical cancer. 3 of them already did other examinations in the specialised hospital.

The women expressed their appreciation for visits offered in the place where they live because they do not have a specialised doctor and they are not able to travel to cities where are specialised hospital due to the financial difficulties.

300-health notebook for the women were published and distributed during the health awareness sessions with the women.

Human story - Patient with initials E.G 46 years old lives in Kuçova and she has conducted a PAP Test ten years ago. The doctor told her that other examinations were needed to evaluate her situation. Due to financial difficulties she did not visit a specialized doctor. She was very happy when she learned that a gynaecological team would visit her village. She attended the health awareness sessions and she did the Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) testing and PAP-test. Once again she resulted with problems that have advanced and she needs further examination. Hopefully she will be able to do that.

We ask you to continue to support our effort to reach the remaining 650 women and to contribute in the improvement of women’s health and have healthy families.