Health And Life Protection Foundation

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Health And Life Protection Foundation is a vibrant youth oriented non- profit organization that seeks to sensitize and educate people on health issues and sanitation as important tools for socio-economic development. It was founded as a result of rapid spread of some avoidable diseases such as STDs, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, etc and rampant mortality rate in rural communities.

some of our major projects include:

OUTREACH PROGRAMMES: This is the priority of the organization and with the projects what happens is that we (HALP) together with both local and foreign volunteers team up , prepare teaching guides and visits schools and communities and we talk to them about health issues ranging from Sanitation, Nutrition, HIV/AIDs, Hepatitis B, Malaria just to mention few. The reason why we see the outreach programmes or educational programmes is the priority of the organization is that, we believe that to change the behaviour of an individual, one has to make an effort to conscientize the other to effect that behavioural change. We believe that once we always visit these schools and communities to give to them what we know and what is true on these vital health issues they will listen and learn from us through the demonstrative and participatory activities that we involve them in. we try as much as possible to introduce and involve them in skits and also make up songs for them to sing especially when we met the kids. The Health and Life Protection Foundation tries every means possible to make sure that the education programmes they understand in especially schools are very effective by assessing the students through quiz competitions which are normally organized between two different schools in the same communities and prizes awarded to deserving winners and runners up. Quiz competitions were held in July, 2010 where the Nyinasin M/A Junior High School emerged winners over St Cyprian Anglican School Junior High School in an Oral QUIZ competition on Sexually Transmitted Diesease and Reproductive Tract Infections. Prizes Awarded includes, Tap water buckets, huge dust bins and books. At the Primary level of the two Schools, St Cyprains Anglican Primary won the quiz competition over Nyinasin Primary School on the topic, Sanitation which included personal hygiene and proper hand washing and nutrition.

TRAINING OF AMBASSADORS: This is a very new project initiated by the organization where our staff who have passion for teaching and thus have gone through years of University education with Degrees in Education take up the responsibility of training some youth in the communities we hold of outreach programmes who will be committed to the aims and objectives of the organization. One will ask why we have to train the youth in the communities we go? Well the simple answer to this is that, the Health and Life Protection Foundation has unlimited number of communities and schools we reach out to with our educational programmes but has a limited number of staff.
In view of this, the Health and Life Protection Foundation initiated this so that the Ambassadors( youth we train ) continue our work in the villages and schools in the communities which they come from while we continue to reach out to those communities and schools in the different places who have not yet idea about Health and Life Protection Foundation and what we do concerning health and it issues. Our maiden training session was held at Abrem- Agona in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo -Abrem Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana where three of the youths in the community showed interest in helping us our educational programmes.
During a three day training session, potential Health and Life Protection Foundation Ambassodors as we refer to them were given an overview of the Health and Life Protection Foundation- (when it was founded, why it was founded, aim/objectives and achievements) then the we outlined to them what the Health and Life Protection Foundation expect from them, specifically stressing on commitment, accountability, honesty and respect. The organization took it upon itself to take them through some of the basic but critical health issues we talk about when we go out to the field. Topics included, sanitation, HIV/AIDs and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Reproductive Tract Infections, Nutrition, H1N1 and Malaria. Not only did we equip them with the basic information vital for the outreach but we also taught them how to keep track of any outreach the go to by writing reports after every outreach they organize.
Ambassador as we call them are now working around the clock in the community and the Health and Life Protection Foundation staff visits them every now and then to render help either in kind or in cash to them. In addition to this we also make available to them materials they will need for demonstrations like the proper hand washing procedures like tap water buckets, soaps and also teaching guides are prepared and updated for them by the Health and Life Protection Foundation. This the Health and Life Protection Foundation sees as a very viable and sustainable project and will march on with it.

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME REGISTRATION: The National Health Insurance Scheme was implemented to replace the “Cash and Carry” health financing system in Ghana. Why did the Government implement this system? This is because the “Cash and Carry” system made it very difficult for everybody to pay money immediately before and after treatment in our hospitals and clinics and this inability to pay for treatment before and after illness resulted in needless deaths. What then is the importance of the National Health Insurance Scheme? This scheme will allow everybody to make contributions into a fund so that in the event of illness contributors could be supported by the fund to receive affordable healthcare in our health facilities?
What then happens to the less privileged in the remote communities who are faced with a problem of finding only a meal to eat everyday and especially the children who cannot work to earn anything to contribute towards the funds? Are they going to be left out to die just because they can’t contribute? That is why the Health and Life Protection Foundation tailored this project to help those who are in dying need of the scheme but are not able to enroll and contribute.
This project seeks to bring children who are below 18 years and people who are over 70 years who are from very remote and deprived communities and poor families. Why did we choose this age range? The Health and Life Protection Foundation chose the age range because children are the ones who are very vulnerable to communicable or any kind of diseases. With donations from people and two ladies who came from Rice University in Texas, the Health and Life Protection Foundation then the (Health Foundation) was able to take off with its maiden Free National Health Insurance registration at Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem municipality in the Central Region in May, 2010 which was a success. Twenty (20) Children were registered and they all fell between (1-10) years and Five (5) who were above 70 years were also welcomed unto the scheme and follow ups we did in the village has proven that it was a very nice project we undertook and it really helping the beneficiaries. With support from any organization or individual who will want us to carry on with this project which is also dear to us, we are ever ready to hit the deprived communities , survey and get those who really need the Scheme and push then on board.
What the Health and Life Protection Foundation does for them is this; registering a child below 18 years is 5 new Ghana cedis (GH¢5.00) and an equal amount for those above 70 years. After this money is paid, they get their cards which allows them to visit any hospital or healthcare center who they will get free services including medication for a whole year and they just have to renew it once every year with only One Ghana cedis (GH¢1.00) which the parents can afford. However there are some diseases which are not covered by the scheme. Diseases covered includes, Malaria, Diarrhea, Upper Respiratory Tract Infections, Skin diseases, Hypertension, Diabetes, Asthma just to mention few. Some of the diseases currently not covered are Optical aids, Hearing aids, Orthopedic aids, Dentures, Beautification, Surgery, Supply of AIDS drugs, treatment of chronic Renal failure, Heart and Brain surgery.

MOSQUITO NET DISTRIBUTION: This project encompasses the distribution of mosquito nets to people especially pregnant women and children between 0-5 years. The rationale behind this is to reduce maternal and infant mortality levels in Ghana and the communities we visit. Again, with the little donations we receive in cash, we buy these nets and hand distribute them whenever we organize a health camp.