Global Restructuring of RGD & Community Participation in Primary Health Care - Suriname

Within the restructuring project of the RGD, which started in 1996 and ended in 2000, one of the main accomplishments was to initiate community participation in Primary Health Care. The RGD is a government-owned foundation, which provides health care to the population of the coastal area. The main components within the restructuring of the RGD were review and development of human resources, community participation and physical renovations. The unique aspect of this approach was utilizing community participation in primary health care. In selected districts, key persons and health problems were identified. In each of these districts, a Community Participation committee was established, which set priorities for management of health issues and mobilized the community members to impact their own communities. Each person in the community took responsibility for their own health and the health of their district. Community Participation was also promoted through local health fairs, with the cooperation of government and non-government institutions working in health. A successful contest was established where school youth submitted unique proposals for plans to mobilize their community members. In one of the districts in the East of the country, UNICEF took over the initiative and with the help of the Community Participation committee conducted a training for Village Health Assistants in the smaller villages of alongside the river.
The strengthening of outreach and health education programmes under the Global Restructuring Project included several components. The first involved health status surveys on nutrition of women and children, immunisation, socio-economic status and environmental living conditions. The second included maternity and health education campaigns to promote family planning and breast-feeding and training of trainers to implement school nursing in all areas. The third component was curriculum development for Primary Health Care Nursing and School Nursing Programmes.
Infrastructure development of clinics provided much needed repairs to clinics and staff residences, improved water supply, patient and medical transport, administrative and clinical equipment and communications equipment.

Health.