Wherever Shadrack Sururu goes in his village in Narok East, he is bound to meet someone whose health he is interested in.
When the Safaricom Newsroom team met him at Ilaiser Dispensary recently, he was part of the team conducting reproductive health training but was also following up on one of the occupants of the households he visits every so often.
Shadrack is one of 11 Community Health Providers (CHPs) in the vast constituency. His weeks are hectic because he has to visit four or five households as part of the 70 households he has been assigned.
His schedule depends on the distance between the households he covers: half a day on the road if they are in close proximity or a full day if the distance between them is more.
When he visits a house, he is keen to find out about the general health of its occupants. He checks for vitals such as blood pressure and screens for conditions such as diabetes. If there is a pregnant woman in a household, he follows up on their progress.
If there is a condition that needs further consultation, he refers whoever is ailing to a nearby health facility. His role also entails giving advice on hygiene to prevent waterborne diseases.
“We check the status of facilities such as latrines to ascertain the hygienic condition of a household. If they are in a poor state, we can support by putting up a decent structure that enhances good sanitation. We encourage them to always wash their hands before handling food and boil their drinking water as preventive measures against disease,” said Shadrack.
The maternal health indicators at Narok East Sub-County demand that close attention is paid to prenatal care, as it is at this stage where maternal and infant mortality pose the highest risk.
Sururu and his team of CHPs have made it their mission to increase the number of safe deliveries at health facilities. Not only are they investing in promoting hospital deliveries, Sururu is also championing family planning among the community.
“At first, our community was reluctant about family planning, however, with sufficient engagement, we had women urging us to talk to their husbands and we are seeing the change in attitude. I can estimate that 80% of residents in this sub-county have embraced family planning,” says Sururu.
The Community Health Promoters in the Sub-County got a boost from Safaricom Foundation’s Uzazi Salama, a Reproductive, Maternal, Neo-natal, Child and Adolescent health programme. The programme, which is a partnership with AMREF, has added value by facilitating the outreach efforts of Sururu and his team of workers and carrying out extensive training surrounding maternal health.
As part of the programme’s efforts to improve maternal and neonatal health, Uzazi Salama is also seeking to get men more involved in ensuring women deliver in health facilities and seek pre-natal and post-natal care.
Sururu debunks the perception that they do not have lives of their own apart from administering health care services.
“We are livestock keepers and farmers too. From these economic activities, we are able to cater to our needs like putting our children through school. We have families that demand our attention too, which sometimes is a delicate balancing act,” says Sururu.
There are challenges that they have to overcome in their line of work, yet they have managed to win over the majority of the community.
“The terrain can be difficult especially during the rainy season in the areas we cover. This can limit the distances that we cover. In addition to that, we may face resistance in some homesteads where our qualifications are questioned when carrying out routine procedures,” says Sururu.
All in all, Sururu’s efforts are not in vain. His forays in the community along with his colleagues have increased the number of patients who visit health facilities which has played more than its fair share in reducing maternal and infant mortality in Narok East sub-county.
Watch the video below to learn more.
