Training Community Health Volunteers on Wilderness First Aid in Kenya
In September 2022, MedTreks hosted a one-day Wilderness First Aid Certification Course for the public health team at Village HopeCore International (HopeCore). The goal of this training was to certify the local Kenyan HopeCore staff so then they could use it to train their 1260 Community Health Volunteers throughout the year.
In order to fully understand how this training was designed, it is important to understand the roles that Community Health Volunteers play in rural areas of Kenya.
Community Health Workers/Volunteers (CHWs/CHVs) play a vital role in improving healthcare access and outcomes in rural Kenya. Here are some reasons why CHWs are important in this context:
- Bridging the healthcare gap: Rural areas in Kenya often lack access to healthcare facilities due to distance, lack of transportation, and inadequate infrastructure. CHWs act as a bridge between the community and the formal healthcare system by providing health education, preventive services, and identifying and referring patients who need more advanced care.
- Cultural sensitivity: CHWs are typically from the same community they serve, so they understand the local language, customs, and beliefs. This enables them to communicate health information effectively, build trust, and provide culturally appropriate care that is more likely to be accepted and followed by the community.
- Cost-effective: CHWs are an affordable and cost-effective solution for delivering healthcare services in rural areas, where the cost of setting up and maintaining healthcare facilities is often prohibitive. CHWs require minimal training and can use low-cost equipment and supplies to provide basic healthcare services.
- Improved health outcomes: Studies have shown that the presence of CHWs in rural communities can lead to improved health outcomes, such as increased immunization rates, reduced child mortality, and better management of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
Through the Wilderness First Aid certification course, MedTreks trained approximately 30 staff from the HopeCore health team, who will then use this knowledge and skillset to pass forward to the Community Health Volunteers through their quarterly trainings.
If you are interested in learning more and getting involved in global health, join our MedTreks teams in Kenya. You can view our annual trip to Kenya HERE.
If you have experience teaching on topics of public and global health or clinical medicine, and would like to join our MedTreks Faculty, please view our Clinical Faculty Program page.
If you have any questions about our program, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions at: info@medtreksinternational.com
