NCDs/UHC
According to the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cause 41million deaths annually, representing 74% of all deaths worldwide. Each year, 17 million people die from NCDs before the age of 70, with 86% of these premature deaths occuring in low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, 77% of all NCD deaths occur in these countries. AMDA-MINDS has been working on the management of NCDs, which includes detection, screening, access to primary healthcare services to strengthen early detection and timely treatment, with the goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
In Nepal, the project raise awareness about the importance of prevention and early detection has been implemented since 2021, and over 3,500 women have received screening services for breast and cervical cancer. Additionaly there are two ongoing project in Honduras: one is aimed at improving NCD-related medical services by strengthening the health system, and the other is for delivering quality services at health center for early detection of breast and cervical cancer among women.
Maternal and Child Health
Maternal and child health is one of our core programs in which we have a wide range of experiences and expertise from the past projects. In the mountainous areas of Nepal and Myanmar, the projects aimed at improving the health of women and newborns have been implemented. The projects consist of the construction of health clinics and health education activities focused on maternal and child health, including nutrition, vaccinations, and the importance of healthcare before, during, and after childbirth.
In the municipalities of San Lucas and San Antonio de Flores of Honduras, training programs aimed at providing proper care for pregnant women and safe childbirth were conducted for health center staff, health volunteers, and traditional birth attendants. Health education programs for women of reproductive age were conducted in schools. More than 1,000 students of 18 schools received the health education and improved their knowledge on reproductive health.
In Sierra Leone, blood pressure and pulse monitors for pregnant women were distributed in target districts to ensure early detection and appropriate treatment of high-risk pregnant women. The devices with appropriate technology were developed for developing countries by King’s College London and are being distributed in collaboration with the Welbodi Partnership, a UK-based local NGO.
Nutrition
In Honduras, the project for the promotion of home gardening for improved Nutrition and livelihood has been implemented since 2017. In Vado Ancho Municipality of El Paraiso Department, 488 households have benefited from an eco-friendly farming method, and they have improved their diets by consuming a greater variety of vegetables.
In Madagascar’s Atsimondrano District, located in the central highlands, where the rate of stunting among children is the highest in the country, the project aimed at improving the nutrition of children under the age of five has been carried out. To promote and encourage desired behaviors for nutrition improvement, more than 50,000 people participated in the nutrition education activities with the support of 1,300 trained community promoters. Furthermore, important information related to nutrition such as child growth and balanced diet has been broadcast over the radio for raising awareness among the general population. In addition to these activities, the project has supported the construction of improved latrines for better hygiene and sanitation in order to prevent diarrhea and other water-borne diseases, which hider digestion and absorption of necessary nutrients.
Environment
In the mountainous areas of El Paraiso and Francisco Morazán Departments of Honduras, 8 municipalities worked together to raise awareness about eco-friendly sustainable agroforestry. A total of 1,824 farmers participated by planting 19,450 seedlings, including mangoes, acacias, avocadoes, and mahoganies among others, and installing fences to conserve water sources.
In Tsiafahy Commune of Atsimondrano District, Madagascar, the project was implemented over two years to promote environmentally sustainable agriculture and afforestation. Approximately 1,000 people, from young to old, worked together to plant a total of 11,760 trees. Additionally, with the assistance of a Japanese agricultural expert, the project provided guidance on cultivating cash crops chosen by the farmers themselves, such as strawberries, carrots, tomatoes, cassavas, corn and rice.
Income Generation
In Myanmar, the microfinance services for livelihood improvement program has continued to provide services to vulnerable women in Meiktila Township. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the deterioration of the security situation in 2022, the program was able to provide 2,590 women in 65 villages with “Livelihood Improvement Service Package,” namely financial education, microcredit, and savings.
In two rural municipalities of Gorkha District of Nepal, the project to support small-scale farmers through coffee cultivation has been implemented. The project includes activities such as improving cultivation skills, establishing coffee selection facilities, building the capacity of famer groups, and setting up the marketing system. As a result of the activities, farmers have increased their sales income by up to 10 times in maximum.
