A healthier community ensures great health for all and reduces cases of sickness hence saving lives. In the efforts of creating a healthier community, health education has been part of the work carried out by health staff at the Loreto Primary Health Care Center, LPHCC.

Health education has served as a platform to encourage and motivate students and the community to improve and maintain good health, prevent diseases, reduce risky behaviors and make right choices in their day-to-day life.

In the month of July, the Loreto health staff facilitated a health outreach which targeted beneficiaries from the community and students from neighboring schools. This aimed at creating awareness and showing solidarity with people and students in our immediate community, and help them achieve improved wellbeing.

According to Ms. Ann, one of the LPHCC nurses, “Good health is essential for people of all age. Reaching out to students and community members addresses their various health needs and helps them acquire skills to prevent diseases and seek the right medical care when they fall sick.

It also creates self-awareness to children to help them avoid accidents. In addition, nutrition and hygiene are key for the nursing mothers to prevent diarrhoea and weight loss in children.”

Students from Loreto secondary, Loreto Primary, Comboni primary School, Mazzolari kindergarten, Mazzolari secondary and La Salle secondary were beneficiaries of this program.

The LPHCC paid two visits to each school and secondary school students discussed topics on HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Kindergarten and primary students covered various topics on hygiene.

Helen Sora Majok talks with local villagers at a community meeting about health on the grounds of the Loreto School outside Rumbek, South Sudan. The school is run by the Institute for the Blessed Virgin Mary–the Loreto Sisters–of Ireland. Majok is a Loreto Graduate Intern working in the school’s clinic.

Children were also taught about prevention of common accidents like drowning. Rumbek is a relatively flat land and during rainy season, children cross small pools of water as they walk to and from school. Education on drowning during rainy season and accidents as they play is thus very crucial.

Students and community members were also encouraged on use of mosquito nets for the prevention of malaria which poses a risk to life.

As one of the community members, Mary Ding explains, “The heath outreach and education is so helpful, especially to nursing mothers since we learn how hygiene is so important, even children should have their nails cut short and wash hands before feeding and keep feeding bottles clean. Mosquito nets is very essential to prevent malaria to ourselves and our children.”

It was a great time for students and community members to learn new ideas and skills to promote wellbeing.