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It is difficult for a European to comprehend the life-threatening dangers the Malagasy face. Half of the children under five have chronic malnutrition, the fourth highest rate in the world. One in five children under the age of five die as a direct result of diarrhoeal diseases. There are regular outbreaks of diseases like Bubonic Plague and Tuberculosis which have been eradicated in the developed world.
When you or your child get sick you need good advice and good facilities. The health service in rural Madagascar is extremely basic and normally far away. Medicines are often in short supply and misdiagnosis is common. Many people rely on traditional medicines and unreliable cures, making people worse rather than better. Health First Improving health is what we do first. The first funds Feedback Madagascar ever raised were to buy medicines to stock the hospital in Ranomafana. This is because health is naturally the top priority for every community we work with. By addressing health first we save and improve lives at the same time as opening doors and building trust, creating the goodwill, energy and momentum for future projects with less visible but longer-term benefits. Improving Health We support community health via training and equipment for Community Health Agents and health centre infrastructure improvements:
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Health Agents
Our Community Health Agents are all local volunteers. They learn about then teach Family Planning, Maternal and Child Health, Safe Motherhood, Malaria and Tuberculosis Control and Management, Nutrition and Hygiene. They diagnose and refer as many disease cases to hospitals as possible and increase referrals to the many health centres that we have upgraded and staffed. They have had a huge impact on the everyday lives of their communities, and at the same time help us launch new initiatives like:
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