AYINET and Rotary Club Lira organise Health camps, Family Health Days

African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET) in partnership with the Rotary Club Lira organized free health camps in Lira district with the aim to reach needy communities with free health services, encourage community to practice healthy living and demonstrate to the community the importance of seeking medical attention.

The health services freely provided were Immunization, Cancer Screening (Cervical, breast, and prostate), Dental services, HIV/AIDs testing and counselling, Safe Male Circumcision, Family planning services and General medical diagnosis and treatment.

The Rotary family Health Days are annual events where all Rotary clubs world- wide with their partners take free medical services closer to the community. At AYINET, We are happy to be in partnership with the Rotary as this intervention resonates with our commitment to mobilize, empower youths and communities to in creating healthy, just and peaceful societies.

The interventions were carried out in a 2 days period with the first health camp/services being Polio Vaccination at the Lira Referral Hospital on October 23 2015 and the others at the two centres of Amach and Cuk Bal Pe on October 24 2015.

Market days are great occasions in the region to reach the women since they usually make the majority on these days. It also makes it a great opportunity to extend the health services close to them, as one Lady from Cuk Bal Pe, names withheld, explains,

“As for we women this is the only opportunity that we can utilize for testing since our men cannot allow us to move together with them, but they sneak and go for test. So it’s your role as a woman to see that you don’t miss out the opportunity when brought close to you.”

Community engagement and mobilization being key in bringing health services closer to the communities, We would love to appreciate the local leaders who helped in the mobilization of the communities to make it possible for them benefit from the health services. The LC11 Okabo Omara, of Agali Sub County in Amach being exemplary, sought out HIV Voluntary counselling and testing services and also had an appeal;

“It has been a challenge for our people to seek such service in terms of accessibility, money and transport, I therefore thank Rotary club, AYINET, Aids Information Center, and World Vision, and it’s my request that this activity be done on the monthly basis so that many people also benefit. I want to request the government to come out and support these organization for us to have a wider coverage on sensitizing the community on the importance of HIV testing and cervical cancer screening”.