Woreda Level Advocacy Workshop and Supplies Distribution

Podoconiosis has continued being a public health problem in Ethiopia. Despite the huge strides marked in the last two national NTD master plans 2011-2015 and 2016-2020, the lack of access to information on the methods of home-based lymphedema self-care and access to affordable and suitable shoes are impeding in attained a required quality of life and improved health outcome among affected individuals.

To catalyze the use of local resources and show the local governments what treatment supplies podoconiosis affected individual need to care their lymphedema, NaPAN with financial support obtained from Ethiopiaid UK organized woreda level advocacy workshops and provided self-care treatment supplies that benefited more than 500 affected people.

Podoconiosis has continued being a public health problem in Ethiopia. Despite the huge strides marked in the last two national NTD master plans 2011-2015 and 2016-2020, the lack of access to information on the methods of home-based lymphedema self-care and access to affordable and suitable shoes are impeding in attained a required quality of life and improved health outcome among affected individuals.
To catalyze the use of local resources and show the local governments what treatment supplies podoconiosis affected individual need to care their lymphedema, NaPAN with financial support obtained from Ethiopiaid UK organized woreda level advocacy workshops and provided self-care treatment supplies that benefited more than 500 affected people.
The woreda level advocacy workshops were organized in Gozamen woreda, Debremarkos Town (January 23, 2022), in Wayu Tuka woreda, Nekemte Town (Jan 27, 2022), in Dire Woreda, Megado Town (February 13, 2022), and in Mierab Abay, Birbir Town (February 28, 2022). Divergent woreda sector representatives participated during the workshops and consensus was reached on the need of multi-sectoral response to end the neglect and the socio-economic burden posed on the affected individuals and their families.

Moreover, NaPAN also provided a one-day refresher training to health extension workers (HEWs) on community mobilization, case identification and referral. It has been able to reach about 200 HEWs. Through the refresher training it was advocated that it was the role of HEWs to follow managed affected after three months of patient training at health center. It was also noted that the HEWs ought to support affected individuals in their house to house visits they make for other primary health care services.

       

Our Vision: To see Ethiopia free of podoconiosis

Our Mission: To coordinate and standardize efforts for the elimination of podoconiosis, to build the capacity of members and other stakeholders, and to support research for evidence based interventions.