Primary health accounts for 70-80% of health problems and burden of health expenditure on any given society. These issues may be further lowered by initiating targeted preventive healthcare among the community.
A key finding of Tibetan health system assessment was the underutilization and limited reach of DOH facilities, in large due to lack of an effective community outreach strategy, because Tibetans in South Asia are highly mobile and often seek health care outside DOH facilities, DOH has partial information about the health status and health seeking behaviors of the community it serves.
One of the most effective mechanisms of preventive and primary health service is through effective community outreach program. Community Outreach is an activity of providing services to any population who might not otherwise have access to those services. The practice of offering support to community members. A key component of outreach is that the groups providing it are not stationary, but mobile; in other words they are meeting those in need of outreach services at the locations where those in needs are. In addition to delivering services, outreach has an educational role and raising the awareness of existing services. Community outreach provides basket of health services to community to ensure health service and information that should reach to each and every one. The CCOCC program particularly deliver primary and preventive health services for the community.
Objectives for Community Out reach
- Comprehensive coverage of community – facility visitors & non-visitors
- Complete health information coverage
- Information on community health profile
- Early detection and care – life style and infections
- Proactive behavior change – Education and knowledge about emerging health issues
- Continued care and follow-up
The nurses and Community health workers who are the back bone of CCOCC program continues to carry outreach activities in settlements of India and Nepal. Services offered during outreach visits include household visits, home based diagnostic services, Carry out Surveys, data collection and provide medication support and referral.
During visits they follow up on ANC, PNC, Immunization, TB, Hepatitis B and other symptomatic ailments. The nurses also provide door step health awareness with education tools like Pico projector, Flipcharts, Tablet etc.