MIRA mobilizes its resources to provide life-saving, life-sustaining, and poverty alleviating health interventions in response to the health needs of high-risk communities. Primary health care efforts support families affected by natural disasters like floods, and droughts –. Our focus will be on prevention and awareness on health-related issues is central to saving lives, combating diseases, and preventing major outbreaks and epidemics.
Beside, MIRA believes that by responding to the health needs of disaster-affected communities that healthier families are better able to address their other needs and rights – including food, livelihood, education, and gender equality.
ADDRESSING HEALTH ISSUES OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES
MIRA engages in primary health care assistance – both through mobile and static health facilities – the organization works under three pillars: preventive and curative health care, awareness raising, and the capacity building of local health structures.
MIRA finds that one of the major barriers to healthy communities in Pakistan is a lack of awareness on disease prevention and maternal health. Since families and communities have lack access to knowledge and treatment facilities, these countries experience high rates of maternal and infantmortality. According to UNICEF, the infant mortality rate in Pakistan is close to 72 per 1,000 live births, while maternal mortality is 280 per 100,000 live births.
Together, religious and cultural factors form barriers to proper health care. Social misconceptions and myths within society can cause families – particularly women to delay seeking treatment. MIRA’s work will be the mobilization of community-based health workers. These volunteers form key relationships within communities to raise awareness on disease prevention and the value of seeking timely professional medical attention. In addition to the community-based efforts, simple steps like the provision of essential medicine can help create help create further incentives for families.
COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAM
MIRA’s community health program prioritizes activities that have been proven effective, and the establishment of sustainable community groups capable of coordinating activities with health and development stakeholders. MIRA’s programs focus on child survival, maternal and child health development and health system strengthening.
MIRA’s health programs aimed to promote social justice, the preservation of human rights and dignity by targeting the most marginalized communities and enabling them to address their own basic health needs. Programs will be carried out in partnership with local public, and other private institutions.
Keeping in view the unavailability of health services in the drought hit areas; HRF with facilitation of MIRA organized a medical consultation camp at village Hanjital on May 10, 2014. The medical team lead by Medical Doctor (registered medical practionner) comprised on dispenser, LHV and health technician provided the medical services. In this medical camp, the blood samples of patients collected and tested, in the test reports those patients who were fall in severe anemic category they were given the iron’s tablets and ferrous Sulphate tablets. Whereas LHV imparted sessions on health and hygiene balance diet and causes of outbreaks of different diseases and their possible mitigation measures to community. Total 104 patients were provided medical services which included consultation and medication. The treated patients were included under 12 years’ children, Female, Male patient. Moreover, 45 children were given deworming medicine.
Future goals for the community health program include:
- Continuing to offer health services in areas where programs exist.
- Extending current services by collaborating with governments and local organizations to increase the amount and types of services available.
- Finding innovative ways to empower communities to manage and finance these programs
PROMOTING MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH
In addition to actively providing reproductive health services through its health projects, MIRA also advocates for mobilizing increased resources for reproductive health in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Demographic and Health Survey (2006-07) revealed that 0.7% of its GDP was spent on health care; one of the lowest health spending’s in South Asia. And even with some 65,000 registered civil society organizations in Pakistan, there is a lack of networking at a societal level on reproductive health and awareness amongst local communities.
MIRA continues to develop advocacy strategies to help raise reproductive health awareness on a national level with parliamentarians, civil servants, and international donors. The organization also raises awareness within local communities and encourages them to advocate for increased resources and improved access to reproductive health services.
MIRA has established a Marvi Mother and Child Health Care Center at Umerkot. The MCH Center is providing primary as well as territory care to poor of the poorest people district Umerkot and its surrounding districts. The facility provides following services to community with subsidized charges;
- Pediatrics
- Family Practice
- Internal Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Endocrinology
- Counselling
- EPIs