Community health

rdf:langString Community health

rdf:langString Community health refers to simple health services that are delivered by laymen outside hospitals and clinics. Community health is also the subset of public health that is taught to and practiced by clinicians. Community health volunteers and community health workers work with Primary Care Providers to facilitate entry into, exit from and utilization of the formal health system by community members. Community health volunteers are members of the local community who have considerable knowledge of the health services available to the community and are used to identify and link beneficiaries or those in need and the registered providers. Community health workers (Community health assistants and Community health officers) are employees who do not necessarily come from the local community but have vocational, professional or academic qualifications which enable them to provide training, supervisory, administrative, teaching and research services in community health departments. Community health services are classified into: 1. * Preventive health services such as chemoprophylaxis for Tuberculosis, cancer screening and treatment of diabetes and hypertension. 2. * Promotive health services such as Health education, family planning, vaccination and nutritional supplementation 3. * Curative health services such as treatment of jiggers, lice infestation, Malaria and Pneumonia. 4. * Rehabilitative health services such as provision of prosthetics, Social work, Occupational therapy, Physical therapy, Counselling and other Mental health services. Community health volunteers are members of the local community who have considerable knowledge of the health services available to the community and are used to identify and link those in need and the registered providers. The community Health Volunteers report directly to Community Health Assistants or Community Health officers (CHAs/CHOs) popularly known as the Community Health Extension Workers. Community health Assistants/Officers do not necessarily come from the local community but have professional training and academic qualifications which enable them to provide supervisory, administrative, teaching and research services in community health departments. CHAs/CHOs are formal County Government employees. The community Health Volunteers title changes to Community Health Worker immediately if they are on monthly stipend program or salary. Community health services are classified into: 1. * Preventive health services 2. * Promotive health services such as Health education, family planning 3. * Curative health services such as treatment of minor illnesses. 4. * Rehabilitative health services Community health volunteers provide the most basic services such as distribution of Water chlorination tablets, mosquito nets and Health education material but will normally involve or work with registered clinicians when they encounter sick or recovering patients or those with complex or on-going needs. It is a major field of study within the medical and clinical sciences which focuses on the maintenance, protection, and improvement of the health status of population groups and communities. It is a distinct field of study that may be taught within a separate school of public health or Preventive Healthcare. The WHO defines community health as: Environmental, Social, and Economic resources to sustain emotional and physical well being among people in ways that advance their aspirations and satisfy their needs in their unique environment. Medical interventions that occur in communities can be classified as three categories: Primary care, Secondary care, and Tertiary care. Each category focuses on a different level and approach towards the community or population group. In the United States, Community health is rooted within Primary healthcare achievements. Primary healthcare programs aim to reduce risk factors and increase health promotion and prevention. Secondary healthcare is related to "hospital care" where acute care is administered in a hospital department setting. Tertiary healthcare refers to highly specialized care usually involving disease or disability management. The success of community health programs relies upon the transfer of information from health professionals to the general public using one-to-one or one-to-many communication (mass communication). The latest shift is towards health marketing.