READ THE LATEST NEWS FROM CHC PROJECT COUNTRIES - ( click here )
- 1994 – ongoing Zimbabwe
- 2002 – 2003 Sierra Leone
- 2003 – 2004 Albania
- 2005 – 2006 Uganda
- 2005 – ongoing South Africa
- 2007 – 2010 Guinea Bissau
- 2008 – ongoing Rwanda
- 2009 – ongoing Vietnam
- 2011- 1ongoing Namibia
Countries where Africa AHEAD is still operational are featured in more detail. Partner organisations are encouraged to help us update the information from any CHC projects where they are involved.
1994 – ongoing: Zimbabwe:
The country where the Community Health Club approach was first pioneered in 1995 (supported by Unicef and Oak Foundation). After a field trial of one year, the project was taken to scale in Makoni District (funded by Danida), and Tsholotsho and Gulu Districts (funded by DFID). Although the economy collapsed in 2001 and the organisation had to downsize for a few years, the Community Health Clubs in Makoni District continued their activities and actually prospered in a time of extreme recession. A new project started in 2006 in Chipinge and Buhera District in partnership with Mercy Corps. Since 2009 OXFAM has became a partner and there is now a CHC project in Chipinge District and Chiredzi, which was completed in August 2010. ACF is currently partnering with Zim AHEAD in Masvingo, and numerous training is being done for other organisations wanting to start CHCs through the PRP group funded by DFID. Future funding from the EC Water Facility is awaited through partnership with a range of international NGOs in Zimbabwe. Funding is urgently needed to keep Zimbabwe AHEAD operational in 2011. The Ministry of Health is now firmly supporting the AHEAD Approach in Zimbabwe and CHC is in the process of becoming institutionalised as an National Programme.
2005 – ongoing: South Africa
Based in South Africa there are a number of smaller training initiatives but the main project is with government helping to establish CHCs in tin Kwa Zulu Natal where health clubs have started in 10 wards of Umzimkhulu. In the urban areas of Durban Africa AHEAD initiated a pilot project in two informal settlements for the eThekwinini Municipality in 2009 -10, and it is expected that this will be scaled up in 2011.
2009 – onging: Rwanda
The Ministry of Health is taking the lead in Rwanda determined that the CHC Approach will be the methodology used country wide to ensure improved hygiene in the home. While the project has been launched at the highest level, and a substantial Tool kit of visual aids to be used as the training material has been completed by Dr Juliet Waterkeyn, who has also completed two manuals in November 2010 to enable training to start for immediate training in 5 Pilot districts. However, the President of Rwanda is firmly behind this programme and is now insisting that all 15, 000 villages in Rwanda start CHCs within the next year, which means training all 45,000 community health workers in the country. Training is due to start in March 2011.
2009- ongoing: Vietnam
Vietnam is the first Asian Countiry to adopt the CHC Approach, with a pilot project in four Provinces which started in November 2009, after the first workshop by Africa AHEAD. By July 2010 the Tool Kit and Manual was finalised with our assistance from Africa AHEAD (funded by Danida) and a start up workshop held for trainers. This will enable the roll on training to take place in all areas where 40 CHCs have already been formed up and registered.
2005 – ongoing: Uganda
The introduction of CHCs into Uganda was also facilitated by CARE International who requested Dr. J. Waterkeyn to assist in an emergency project in Gulu District in 15 IDP Camps. The ambitious target was to build 10,000 latrine within six months as well as to reach 120,000 people with health promotion. This proved to be possible using the CHC Approach and all targets were not only met but exceeded, with 11,500 latrine built within 8 months. CHC’s continue to be used in Northern Uganda and other organisations are now taking this route, with WaterAid supporting a recent training in 2007 for local partner NGOs with a view to scaling up the methodology. Information is needed to ascertain to what extent this has been implemented by the NGOs.
2007: Guinea Bissau
Effective Interventions requested Africa AHEAD to train facilitators and in 2007 started up CHCs in the Southern Districts of Timbali and Quinara. By 2010 the post intervention data is to have been completed and result on levels of hygiene behaviour change and reduction of child mortality are to be published.
2002-2003: Sierra Leone:
A consultancy for CARE International for the Directors Juliet and Anthony Waterkeyn in 2002-3 provided an opportunity to introduce this methodolgy in Sierra Leone. The pilot project in Bo and Moyamba Districts comprised of 50 CHCs in 25 villages. CHCs are now a common strategy in Sierra Leone and a training manual for the country has been produced, enabling the scaling up of this approach to take place.
