Sanitation

Healthcare in rural communities. Something which I came face to face with while on my trip to Nepal. I contracted a bacterial infection which without medical care could have been a serious problem. When I arrived at the hospital in Kathmandu I was feverish, dehydrated and disoriented. When airlifted out of the Himalayan mountains I could not walk, was unconscious and I have no recollection of the hours before-hand. I was very lucky, having access to the proper medical care meant that I was treated and back on a plane to family within a week, but others in Nepal are not so lucky. 13,000 children under 5 every year die in Nepal from diarrheal diseases due to poor hygiene and sanitation. Only 46% percent of the country has access to latrines, with only 12% having access to the sewerage facilities. 80% of communicable diseases in Nepal are due to contaminated water and poor sanitation.
While on this trip we were sitting outside our teahouse waiting to get ready for the day when a man carrying a basket came down the steps towards us. This is a normal sight in Nepal as everyone uses baskets, held by a strap across the forehead, to carry loads. He was not however carrying just a load, but a sick old man, who needed medical care. The only way for those in rural areas to reach the necessary medical care is to travel down the mountain, carrying the ill person, to reach transportation to a major city. This could take over a week and once they reach a hospital, care is not guaranteed. Childreach works with Dhulikhel hospital to provide healthcare to the rural populations in Nepal. They run a ‘School and Child Health Programme’ which assists in health education and health camps for mothers and their children. So far the program has touched the lives of over 2,500 mothers and children. Following Childreach’s effors to make each project self-sustainable they are working to increase the knowledge and skills of the health workers in areas most needed, establishing telemedicine facilities in Outreach centers and helping rural healthcare become more accessible to all.