Reflective Log On Implementation of intervention of diarrhea.
1. Description
I visited a primary school in Bara Agency as part of a public health outreach
initiative aimed at reducing the burden of diarrhea among children. The objective was to
implement a basic intervention covering:
1. Causes and prevention of diarrhea.
2. Basic treatment using ORS and zinc.
3. Demonstrating how to prepare ORS at home using locally available
materials.
We engaged with students, teachers, and some parents. Visual aids, hands-on
demonstrations, and participatory discussions were used. We use Urdu charts so they can
easily understand
2. Feelings
I was very exited as we have already introduced the hygiene methods and hand
wash methodology and also feel safe as we have already visited here for data collection.I
felt a sense of responsibility, knowing the intervention could potentially save lives if
understood and applied correctly.
3. Evaluation
Students and teachers actively participate as they were full of intention of
learning. Some students have already now about basic hygiene as from our prior visits.
Language was somehow a barrier requiring translation of some terms. There was a
limited prior knowledge among participants about dehydration symptoms.
4. Analysis
The intervention aligned with global recommendations that stress community-
level education as a critical tool for reducing diarrheal morbidity and mortality (UNICEF
& WHO, 2023). Research shows that home-based management of diarrhea, especially
using ORS and zinc, can significantly reduce child mortality (Bhutta et al., 2022).
However, the effectiveness of such interventions heavily relies on caregiver
understanding and retention of the information (Walker et al., 2021).
In low-resource areas like Bara Agency, accessibility and cultural acceptability
are critical. Teaching families how to prepare ORS at home using simple ingredients
(salt, sugar, and clean water) addresses these barriers. A study by Ahmed et al. (2023)
emphasized that locally adapted health education sessions increase the retention of
preventive practices.
Moreover, school-based interventions have been shown to be effective entry
points for health education, especially in rural and underserved areas (Njuguna et al.,
2022). The involvement of teachers can ensure sustainability through continuous
reinforcement of knowledge.
5. Conclusion
The visit was a valuable experience both professionally and personally. I learned
that community health education must be simple, culturally sensitive, and interactive to
be effective. I also realized the power of school-based interventions in spreading health
knowledge beyond students to families and communities.
6. Action Plan
In future visits, I will prepare bilingual visual aids to bridge language gaps. I plan
to include a brief pre- and post-test to assess knowledge gain. Follow-up sessions or
community feedback mechanisms will be introduced to monitor long-term behavior
change. I aim to involve more local health workers for continued support and trust-
building.
References
Ahmed, S., Malik, M., & Qureshi, H. (2023). Community-based education and
ORS usage in rural Pakistan: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Global Health,
13, 04012.
Bhutta, Z. A., Das, J. K., & Rizvi, A. (2022). Interventions to address diarrheal
diseases in children under five: A review of evidence. The Lancet Child & Adolescent
Health, 6(2), 123–134.
Njuguna, H., Kamau, J., & Onyango, D. (2022). Effectiveness of school-based hygiene
promotion programs in rural Kenya. Public Health Reports, 137(4), 572–580.
UNICEF & WHO. (2023). Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2023
Walker, C. L. F., Rudan, I., Liu, L., & Black, R. E. (2021). Global burden of
childhood diarrheal diseases and interventions. BMJ Global Health, 6(7), e004309
