Gladys Kuarasi, the health promoter of Pananti.
Photo: David Allen/CWS |
For a teenager, the responsibility of looking out for the health concerns of 29 families might be daunting. For Gladys Kuarasi, the role of being her community's health promoter has instilled in her an ambition to be a doctor. It gives her the motivation to complete secondary school and go on to college.
Gladys keeps her eye on the health of all 120 people who make up her community of Pananti. She has received training to be a health promoter as well as how to use basic first aid supplies.
Gladys is concerned about the availability of health care for her people. The nearest health clinic is a ten-kilometer walk away. A doctor visits once every two months to treat patients. The cost of care can be a problem. While children under five receive free treatment, an adult pays 60 cents for the doctor as well as the full cost of whatever medicine is needed. Should someone need to stay at a hospital or clinic, the family must pay for transportation and food, not just for the patient but also for the family members who stay with the patient to provide care.
Others in the community are trained in traditional medicine, and they treat illness when the sick cannot see a doctor. Midwives assist with most births in the community.
CWS partners in the region seek to improve health in the indigenous communities. Your support of CWS allows them to train local leaders in health care and to accompany the health promoters in seeking better access to health services for their community.