District approach to primary health care

District approach to p health care Recent films available from Media Unit, WHO 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland Reach out for health This video documentary illustrates the Kenyan approach to implementing the district focus strategy for primary health care in the district of Embu, Kenya. The Kenyan government is introducing the district primary health care approach in all Kenya's 41 districts, a process begun in Embu in February 1986. Then the aim was to expand this strategy to all of Kenya's 41 districts by June 1988. The Kenyan government had decided to decentra- lise the health system by strengthening the district services. The decentra- lisation act initiated the district focus. This was followed by the WHO/ Ministry of Health collaboration in three districts, Embu, Baringo and South Nyanza (February, May and November 1986 respectively). The video documentary "Reach Out for Health" serves as: - forum media showing early achieve- ments, limitations and problems in Embu as an aid to the application of this approach in other districts; - development of communication to strengthen national capacity for informing the Kenyan public of this approach to better health; - the base for exchange of informa- tion and for international dialogue in order to refine strategies at national, regional and international levels; - a means of strengthening national capacity for development broadcast- 20 Village women in Kenya's Embu District making bricks. A stiU from the video "Reach out for health." Photo WHO/S. Moore ing by providing technical and pro- duction assistance. In 1983 the Voice of Kenya recog- nised the importance of development broadcasting and introduced this approach through the district forum media. to ensure urban-rural communi- cation. Producers were posted in each district to gather information on the district situation - information of signi- ficance to the local communities. The VOK/ WHO production "Reach Out for Health" is the first time that VOK had the opportunity of filming a complete documentary of this kind for develop- ment broadcasting. VOK has broadcast the film nation- ally and throughout Africa via the Union of Radio and Television Stations of Africa's Programme Exchange Centre at Nairobi (URTNA). Several NGOs working for better health among the least served commu- nities in developing countries are using the film in community development and community training programmes. Distribution: World Health Organization, Media Service, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, and Voice of Kenya, P.O. Box 30456, Nairobi, Kenya. • REACH OUT FOR HEALTH Subject: the district approach to primary health care Date: Filmed on location in Kenya, and Geneva 1 987 Production: Produced by the Voice of Kenya and WHO in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Kenya Length: 37 minutes Languages: English, Arabic (French version in production) WHO/ S. Surin "WATER FOR THAILAND" Subject: Primary health care Date: 1982 Production: WH 0 Description: Colour 16 mm, optical sound Length: 28 minutes Languages: English In the film we see something of the daily work undertaken by the Village Health Communicators but the main emphasis is on the provision of clean water, one of the most important elements of primary health care. BERNARDIN AND HIS VILLAGE Subject: Primary health care Date: 1982 Production: Puhl Film Products S.A. Description: Colour 16 mm, optical sound Length: 42 minutes Languages: English, French This film illustrates animators from the National Health Service who are sent out to each village to make the villagers more sensitive to their health problems and to encourage them to take the organization of "primary health care" into their own hands. WORLD HEALTH , May 1989