The Nepal Women’s Health Camp started as a single event in Lahachowk, Nepal in March 2017, where health care is very basic and unable to address community needs. Many female villagers in Nepal continue physical farm labour up until childbirth and return quickly thereafter. This results in a high prevalence of uterine prolapse. Health screening identify these conditions and other gynecological issues such as uterine cancer which often go under-diagnosed and left untreated due to the shame and fear, lack of access to medical care and the financial means to pay for medical costs. By supporting a health camp ICO was able to effectively create the opportunity for women to obtain services to improve and maintain their health including prevention strategies, assessment and referrals to hospitals for surgical needs. This results in improved health outcomes, women providing better care for their children, managing their household responsibilities and contributing to the economic needs of the community.
Due to the overwhelming success of the first health camp, these health camps are an annual event in partnership with Rotary. The Nepalese Rotary clubs provide all medical practitioners and ICO provides financial support for gloves, gels, transportation, food, medicines and surgeries. These health camps also provide a venue for ICO to provide feminine hygiene kits ‘Days for Girls’. Other community members are also welcome and benefit from these health camps.
| Our response to the Coronavirus crisis
On May 12th there were 217 cases in Nepal and in just 4 weeks this has risen to 5,062 cases, going up 10% a day, despite the country being in lockdown since March 24th when there were just 5 cases. Tourism a major contributor to the Nepalese economy is now completely shutdown. With 3 million of the 29 million Nepalese working abroad, almost 33% of Nepal’s GDP is reliant on remittance being sent home from overseas workers or Nepalis working in neighboring India. With many of these workers now unemployed and being forced home, some have taken weeks to walk back home from neighbouring countries with no money and unfortunately have brought the virus with them. There are a reported 10,000 people a day crossing the border to return home to Nepal. Communities are trying to keep those returning to Nepal in quarantine to try to stop the spread of the disease, however many are being housed in schools with no running water, only one outhouse, no electricity, no beds, bedding or food. Requests to assist with simple survival are coming in and ICO is doing its best to help. As of June 12, 2020, and during this time of the Coronavirus crisis our Nepal Health Camp Initiative is expanding to assist more people in crisis. Our initiative normally focuses on funding remote health camp assessments, medicines and surgeries and now has expand to help on an individual basis. The Nepal Health Camp Initiative has been expanded to include food aid, medicines, money for surgeries and other essentials to individuals on a one on one assessment during this terrible crisis. The Days for Girls program will now provide support to females in quarantine and those without financial resources sufficient to fund these necessary health products. Our ICO team leads in the field have extensive experience in their communities. They will assess collaborating with community leaders and health professionals to ensure ICO precious donations are used to the most effective means. |
To read more about our Initiative Lead Brad and our Field Lead Binod click here.
For more information contact our Initiative Lead or our Field Lead:
Brad McLoughlin: bradmcloughlin@innovativecommunities.org
Binod Koirala: binodkoirala@innovativecommunities.org
