Action for Healthier Families (Instructional Video)

Summary

The Action for Healthier Families (AHF) toolkit is designed to help families understand health risks and adopt healthier behaviors to prevent or manage non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and cancer. It provides resources like family tree kits and a village health map to facilitate family discussions about health risks, actions for improvement, and available community resources. Through engaging family exercises and village health mapping, the toolkit helps create actionable health plans, fostering healthier communities by empowering families to take charge of their health.

Takeaways

• 😀 The AHF Toolkit is designed to help families understand health risks and adopt healthier behaviors to prevent or recover from diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
• 😀 Families are the primary focus of the toolkit because the home is where we first learn healthy or unhealthy behaviors and are exposed to various health risks.
• 😀 The AHF Toolkit consists of four main components: 50 Family Tree Kits, 1 Village Health Map Kit, a User Guide for community health workers, and a Primer for an overview of the toolkit.
• 😀 To prepare for family visits, the health worker needs various materials such as family tree kits, past health records, diagnostic devices, referral forms, and educational materials.
• 😀 During family visits, the process begins with introducing the toolkit and setting up a family tree to discuss health issues and risks relevant to the family.
• 😀 Key health risks discussed with families include heart attack, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, physical inactivity, secondhand smoke, and excessive sugar consumption.
• 😀 The toolkit helps families identify actions they can take to improve their health, such as engaging in physical activity, not smoking, drinking water, and seeking medical consultations.
• 😀 After each family visit, the family tree is reviewed and a photo is taken for the family’s health record, which should be revisited periodically to track progress.
• 😀 Once multiple family visits are conducted, the next step is to perform a village health mapping exercise to identify common health issues, risks, and available community resources.
• 😀 The village health mapping exercise helps create a community health action plan, identifying family actions, community actions, and assigning responsibility with specific timeframes for implementation.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the AHF toolkit?

The AHF toolkit is designed to help families understand health issues and risks and adopt healthier behaviors. It aims to prevent illness or assist in recovery from diseases such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and others.

Why is the focus on families in the AHF toolkit?

Families are central to the AHF toolkit because they are the first place where we learn healthy or unhealthy behaviors and get exposed to health risks. It’s important for all family members to be aware of health issues and learn what actions they can take as a family to address them.

What are the main components of the AHF toolkit?

The AHF toolkit includes four main components: 50 Family Tree kits (one for each family), a village health map kit for local health leaders, a user guide for community health workers, and a primer for those seeking an overview of the toolkit.

What preparations are needed before visiting a family?

Before visiting a family, you need to prepare the Family Tree kit, past health records of the family, blank forms for taking notes, referral forms, diagnostic devices (e.g., for blood pressure readings), medications, health information, and educational materials, and ensure that cameras or phones are ready for photos.

What steps are involved in the family tree exercise?

The family tree exercise involves several steps: introducing yourself and the family tree kit, setting up the family tree board, identifying relevant health issues (e.g., heart attack, stroke), discussing health risks (e.g., physical inactivity, smoking), identifying actions the family can take, and concluding the visit by reviewing and photographing the family tree.

How do health risks get identified during the family tree exercise?

Health risks are identified by discussing issues that the family may be exposed to, such as physical inactivity, secondhand smoke, or consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. These risks are part of the family’s health profile.

What should be done after conducting the family tree exercise?

After conducting the family tree exercise, it’s important to briefly review the family tree with the family, instruct them to keep it for future reference, and take a photo for their medical records. Follow-up can occur during future visits or at the health center.

What is the purpose of the village health mapping exercise?

The village health mapping exercise helps identify common health issues and risks across families in the village. It also maps out available community structures and resources, ultimately leading to the creation of a community health action plan.

How are actions for better health identified during the village health mapping?

Actions for better health are identified by discussing the proposed actions from both families and the community. Family actions are placed on top, and community actions are placed below. These discussions help to create a comprehensive health action plan.

What is the ultimate goal of using the AHF toolkit?

The ultimate goal of using the AHF toolkit is to improve the health of families and the overall community. By working together, the toolkit aims to create healthier environments and behaviors, benefiting the entire village.