Health Worker Empowerment Movement

In reference to Lala’s blog post on the Lucky Iron Fish, that got me thinking on what are some other people or organizations that are doing something unique or outreach work for others.  I did some searching and came across a similar idea of a group of people wanting to make a difference.  I found an independent nonprofit organization that goes by the name of Intrahealth.  The focus of this organization is on the health workers, themselves.  Granted there are many other nonprofit and profit organizations that are very similar to this.  Intrahealth strives to empower health workers to better serve communities in need around the world.  Their idea of a health worker is someone who alleviates pain, aids in recovery, helps someone in need of health care and so forth.  The organization works to foster local solutions to health care challenges by improving health worker performance, strengthening health systems, harnessing technology, and leveraging partnerships.  (1) Along with their mission, Intrahealth has expanded to many countries of the western hemisphere.  They also help communities and cultures with family planning, HIV, AIDS and Tuberculosis relief and are fighting to protect people from malaria.  I think this mission is great and more attention and work needs to be done in the sector of the health worker.  Empowering the health workers, especially in indigenous and rural areas where health care is sparse and dismal at most is needed.  If you think about these are the people we should be listening to all the time.  They are the ones who should be helping  to make the health care policies and such.  The health care workers are the ones on the front lines of the battle every day.

 

The empowerment of health workers can slowly help change the health systems across the world.  Imagine a time where health care workers and health care organizations are not only fully aware of the problems of health care access faced by the community in that area but are most importantly able to overcome these access and limited care issues.  This is just the first step in helping our world become a better place for all.  Also, by having the training in family planning, disease prevention, and necessary technology and training the health workers will be much more equipped and feel empowered to help their people.

I do not have much of a background in public health, but a concept of empowerment, like the one that Intrahealth is promoting and sharing globally seems like a concept that should have been a long time ago. Are there policy makers that actually go and experience the front lines of the health care centers in the third world areas? Are the indigenous communities even considered? I understand that the geographical location and funding play a huge part in reasons as to why some areas are under developed.  I hope that someday whenever someone is sick, no matter the illness or location they are able to seek out and find the help they need in a timely fashion.  With all of the technology these days I feel this is only a matter of time.

(1)    http://www.intrahealth.org/section/mission-and-vision