Health

World Joy Medical Training Expedition - November 10-21, 2012

A group of eight Utah-based volunteer medical personnel trained local health officials, midwives, and nurses in the Atiwa District of Ghana, West Africa.

The team spent three days in a formal classroom setting and three days in clinical observation to support selected District Clinics focusing on five skill sets:

(1) Manual extraction of the placenta following childbirth;
(2) Appropriate care for miscarriages;
(3) Effective episiotomoy and perineum massage;
(4) Neonatal resuscitation skill training; and
(5) Feminine hygiene information gathering.

As a result of their training efforts, the local health professionals will be able to reduce maternal and infant deaths.

World Joy would like to thank Ike Ferguson, World Joy's Chairman of the Board, who spent countless hours organizing and leading the expedition. A heart-felt thanks also goes to Dr. John Thueson, World Joy's Health Committee Chair, for organizing the Utah group of medical volunteers!

World Joy Health Education Initiative - May 2012

Beginning in May 2012, World Joy launched the World Joy Health Education Initiative in conjunction with a comprehensive NEW Health Education Manual.

BYU Nursing faculty and students took an initial 20 copies of the manual in May to begin training health care workers and volunteers in Malaria prevention--one of many topics written in collaboration with local Atiwa District Health authorities: the Honorable Tei Djangmah (District Health Director) and Mrs. Charlotte Amponsah (District Public Health Matron).

The objective of the initiative is to provide training to public health workers and selected volunteers on such health topics as Dehydration, Diarrhea, Typhoid Fever, Malaria, Respiratory Infections, Schistosomiasis, Skin Infections, and Tuberculosis. These individuals will then lead in-home and small village-group seminars to increase understanding of preventative and basic health care practices that will ultimately lower the number of preventable illnesses and deaths.

It is expected that the training within the Abomosu sub-district will be completed in the next 12 months and that further trainings in the Kwabeng sub-district will begin in the fall of 2013. We anticipate that we will train roughly 500 health care workers with this new Health Education Initiative. Armed with crucial information and training, these workers will then begin training the estimated population of 125,000 residents of the Atiwa District.

We offer our profound gratitude to the following professionals and organizations: Ike Ferguson, World Joy Board Chair, Freedom From Hunger, Joseph Quaye, and Dr. Todd and Michelle Fife for their gracious efforts in helping to compile the volume.

Asunafo Health Clinic - February 2012

The Asunafo Health Clinic was recently dedicated in a grand celebration with over 600 villagers in attendance! In conjunction with other sponsored projects, Viridian associates were there to cut the ribbon at the festivities on behalf of the Cache Valley community who provided the funds for construction of World Joy's newest health facility. The occasion was said to be "one of the best in World Joy history!"

As alluded to above, nearly fifty Viridian Executives and Independent Representatives recently spent time in the villages of Asunafo, Abrenya and Wekpeti. A World Joy corporate partner, they provided funding and labor for (1) the installation of solar panels to the Asuanfo Health Clinic and the brand-new Community Library, (2) two Empower Playground "whirls" in villages with no access to electricity, and (3) the renovation, shelving and set-up of the library--which included a book drive that produced over 6500 books! From February 19 - 23, these associates and executives worked side-by-side with local villagers and, together, produced a whirl-wind of activity, lasting-friendship and lives changed for good.

Please take a moment to read the poignant recollections of Cami Boeheme, Viridian Senior Vice President of Marketing & Brand Communications:

http://www.worldjoyghana.org/voices

To read more about their wildly successful book drive in partnership with The African Library Project, click here:

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&id=163979

To view video vignettes about their service and impact, click here:

http://www.liveviridian.com/site/id/tripblogdetails/participant/5%20Proj...

World Joy has now implemented Phase 1 of its Family Health Care Initiative launched in January 2010. Health services for the Abomosu subdistrict will be available for the population of 25,000 through three service outlets, (1) the Abomosu Health Centre (2) the Asunafo Health Clinic, and (3) the Akokom Health Clinic.