It’s a smart
approach to always support and put innovations into practice. I have succeeded
in starting and running projects when I don’t have a tenth of the necessary
funds to accomplish them, but because of the strategic stakeholder analysis, I
have managed to lead and accomplish initiatives such as the NSAC-UG Health
exhibition. Thanks to my team members who are always their to support the initiatives even during times when there is no payment attached. This post outlines all the details of the project executed in Kampala in the year 2015.
Title of the project
Nursing
Students' Association Consortium Uganda Annual Health Exhibition
My role in the project
Founder,
President and Over seer
The Year the project
was started
2013
Project context
The Nursing
Students' Association Consortium Uganda Health Exhibition is a health initiative
that involves mobilization of student-nurses and midwives from various
universities to voluntarily offer free health services and also present
innovative health initiatives and products to the general public. The health
initiative is undertaken through the Nursing Students’ Association Consortium
Uganda (NSAC-UG) a body undergoing development into a national students body
for the baccalaureate student nurses in Uganda. Stations with different health
activities are set up at the exhibition grounds and the public invited to
consume the offered services free of charge. Health Organizations get invited
to participate in the initiative to offer free health services to the
communities.
The recent
one was organized in Kampala at Victoria University from 29th to 31st October
2015 following the one at Mbarara University of Science and Technology in 2014.
The principal goal was to create an opportunity for equitable access of health
resources and services to the public. People received free health services
during the initiative for example cervical cancer screening and HIV testing.
Other goals
of the initiative include; to create community awareness on non-communicable
diseases, to save lives through Blood donation, to promote the spirit of
volunteerism among student-nurses and to create unity among student-nurses from
the different universities.
Significance of the
project
The project
is significant for it ensures promotion of good health as communities are
health educated and also provided with free health services, It fosters unity
between students and the invited health organizations and it promotes the UN
sustainable development goal number 3 which is to ensure healthy lives and
promote well-being for all at all ages.
Details of the recent
one executed in Kampala, Uganda
The project
was organized at Victoria University Kampala from 29th to 31st October 2015.
The services executed included; Quantum resonance Magnetic
analysis, Cervical Cancer Screening, HIV Testing and Counselling, Family
planning services, Random Blood Sugar Testing, Breast Cancer Health Education,
Breast Examinations, Blood pressure check-ups and Health education on
nutrition, male circumcision, Sanitation and TB
Station one
involved a team of seven Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU) wellness
centre staff who participated in this exhibition. The main focus of the
wellness centre was to do routine health check-ups for early detection and
prevention of diseases. The activities at this station included Blood sugar
check-ups, Blood pressure check-up, body mass index assessment and Quantum
resonance Magnetic analysis, HIV counselling and testing and also health
education. During the health check-ups, 165
clients were assessed by the wellness team and among these, 34 had high blood pressure and 5 had high blood sugars, 5 were underweight, 35 were overweight. Cases of
hypertension and diabetes were referred for further management to physicians
while those with weight issues were counselled and educated on how to manage
their weight.
Stations 2
to 6 had student-nurse educators and involved health education of the
participants on; male circumcision, nutrition, breast examination and
Tuberculosis. The following were major
concerns noted at these stations as participants interacted with the
student-health educators; How to lose weight, how male circumcision reduces
chances of contracting HIV AIDS, How to have proper nutrition and how diseases
contracted due to poor sanitation
Station 7
involved a team from reproductive health Uganda. It participated in the
exhibition at this station with the principal aim of reaching out both the
university students and the community members to access information and
services on family planning. 27
participants were tested for cervical
cancer and 37 female participants
enrolled for family planning services.
The subjects were in an age range of 18 to 50. Condoms were distributed to
participants whereby 39 pieces and 30 boxes were female condoms and 57 Boxes
were male condoms. A total of 18 emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) were
distributed with 13 taken by females and 5 by males. The peer educators from
the youth Corner and service providers of katego did demonstrate, provide and
educate people on family planning and how they work. A total of 72 Information
Education and Communication (IEC) materials were used whereby 32 were for males
and 40 for female participants.
Station 8
involved a team from The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) that participated in
the exhibition at this station for one day whereby they carried out HIV testing
and counselling. 49 participants enrolled in the services at this station with 26 of them males, and 23 females. 47 were HIV negative and 2
HIV positive whereby one female and one male had the disease. The 2
positive participants were counselled and linked for health care
Challenges
The
challenges which we faced during the implementation of the project included the
following;
There were
limited funds to support the people who were providing health services to the
community.
Some health
organizations required payment of their workers if they were to participate in
the project.
The rain
limited people from engaging in the activities
There was
limited publicity on the media about the project
How We Overcame the
Challenges
To overcome
some of the challenges we did the following;
As an
organizing team, we contributed some money to the project so as to facilitate
drinks and a meal to each service provider at the stations.
We applied
for financial support and the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union gave us some
funds.
We requested
Victoria University to support us in the publicity of the project on media and
it did so.
The Creativity in the
approach of the project
The project
involved reaching out people in their local geography of Kampala, demonstrating
and demanding for a return demonstration during health education. People had a
maximum face to face interaction with the health providers and the services
were free of charge. The project ran for 3 days with each day having activities
executed for 8 hours. We also involved the ministry of health whereby the close
off day of the exhibition was honoured by the commissioner Nursing, Ministry of
health, Madam Catherine Betty Odeke.
Student participants came from the following institutions; Victoria
University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Bishop Stuart
University and International Health Sciences University
Impact of the project
and how changes were observed
The Nursing
Students Associations in NSAC-UG have taken up the project at their respective
institutions for example Bishop Stuart University Nursing Students' Association
(BSUNSA) took up the project in 2014 and branded it 'BSUNSA Nursing Week,'
Mbarara University Nursing Students' Association (MUNSA) also took up the
project and branded it 'MUNSA Nursing Week'
The above
changes of the project were observed when I was invited to be a delegate at
their close off days since I was the president and Co-founder of NSAC-UG that
unites the associations. I was also invited to participate in some of the
activities of the BSUNSA Nursing Week project.
A report
from the student participants of the project at Victoria University in 2015
implied that a number of people continued to move to their institution to
inquire about the continuity of the project in the same location.
Another
report from some of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union wellness centre team
that participated in the 2015 project showed that a number of local people who
got involved in the project in 2015 sought out health services at the Wellness Centre
later on.
Significance of the
Impact /changes
-The changes
due to the project imply;
-The need to extend health services to
the people in their respective local communities for easier access.
-The need to increase community based
health projects.
-The need to emphasize continuous
health check-ups for some diseases don't show signs at early stages hence
promoting prevention of diseases to a primary stage.
The current status of the project, plans to sustain, transfer,
replicate, expand or conclude it.
Currently,
the project is under the management and leadership of the Nursing Students
Association Consortium Uganda a national body for the degree student nurses where
I am the President, therefore, the new cabinet members of the consortium shall
be oriented about it and also given documented reports stipulating details on
how the previous projects were executed to success and also the challenges that
were met. The documents shall act as guidelines on how to run the project by
the new cabinet.
I will let
the incoming cabinet know that I will be available to help in case they need my
help in running the project for example by writing fund proposals since I
succeeded in one of the fund proposals I wrote to the Uganda Nurses and
Midwives Union to help in the running of the project whereby they provided us
with the money, and also I have ever succeeded in writing and winning a
hepatitis B grant proposal with Heather Wappot to the Peace Corps whereby, I
initiated a hepatitis B vaccination initiative at Mbarara University of Science
and Technology and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital upon receiving the money
through Mbarara University Nursing Students' Association in 2013.
Why the project works
The project
works because it targets a wide number of people at the same time and the
health services are extended to their local communities making it easy to
access them free of charge. The project includes partnership with already
established health organizations and universities hence making it easy to
achieve the set goals mainly that of equitable access of health resources and
services to the community hence reducing operational costs due to partnerships.
What others can learn
from my experience with this project
-Partnerships aid in reduction of
operational costs when running projects.
-Having a committed and trustworthy
team eases work when running projects.
-Leadership is a key role in running
successful projects.
-It is very crucial to have some
entrepreneurial knowledge when one is to run a successful project.
-Proper planning and early
preparations is paramount when one is to run a successful project.
Recommendation
There is
need for financial support to the youth community based health activities that
enhance capacity building and development.
There is
need for combined efforts by health and non-government organizations to combat
health challenges in communities by increasing health service provider
participation.
There is
need to increase the number and frequency of health programs that promote
health equity at community level with priority focus in rural areas.
Youth
community based health programs can play a big role in rectifying global health
challenges when well supported and given priority.
