This initiative, a
partnership between Stellenbosch University (SU), Sharing Abundant Life
Together (SALT) and the Department of Health (DoH), largely serves the Dunoon
area where many women are HIV positive and unemployed. There is a huge gap
between the capacity for services and the needs of the community.
SU’s Faculty of
Medicine and Health Sciences works closely with SALT, an NPO for social justice
that seeks to bridge the gap between public and private healthcare. “Accessibility,
education and information need to be there for the most vulnerable in our
communities as well. We are passionate about women’s health in its entirety:
mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and socio-economic,” said Sandra Warne
of SALT. “We also assist women in applying for ID books, birth certificates and
grants and offer a counselling service ranging from unemployment and life
skills to prostitution and human trafficking. We believe in equal rights and
dignity for all.”
During the course of
the year, Johnson & Johnson’s baby products division provided training and
information on baby baths and massage and basic skin care for newborns and
children to SU’s midwifery students. The information and skills were then
passed on to the mothers at SALT. Forty-three students gave informational talks
to 120 women and they were coached in the topics of immunisations, breast
examinations, diarrhoea and danger signs, contraception, baby massage and baby
baths. The women could then pass this information on to family, friends and
community members. “As a midwife I can improve the lives of women and children
and make an impact on the first 1 000 days of a child and beyond,” said Sr
Amy Howes.
“What we learnt is
the importance of developing personal skills by speaking in a language that a
woman can understand. We empower women by educating them and this will help strengthen
our community and our nation. Our desire is to re-orientate health services
from the treatment of disease and traumas to the prevention thereof. By
creating a supportive environment for health services, we create a
non-judgemental attitude towards people’s choices, lives and opinions. We want
all women to know that we are here for them. This also creates a trust
environment – it is very important that nurses have a non-judgemental attitude.
The realities of women in different communities, such as lack of transport
money, can prevent them from accessing a pharmacy in cases of emergency, for example
for anti-diarrhoeal medication. One has to look at the problems realistically
and inform them of what they can do in an emergency for themselves or their
children. It was a humbling experience to witness the big social need
within the community and the need for basic education,” said Sr Amy Howes.
During the course of
the year, advanced midwifery students partnered with SALT and had a wellness
day with 80 women. They took blood pressure readings, weight and BMI and
performed urine analyses and pregnancy tests to get a general idea of the
women’s health. They held a talk on reproductive health and family planning and
spoke about antiretroviral adherence. They provided oral and injectable
contraceptive options on the day and once again, it was highlighted that the
women do not have access to basic information and have inadequate access to
basic preventative healthcare measures.
On 7 August, as part
of women’s month, in collaboration with SALT and Pink Drive, students conducted
breast exams for the women of Dunoon and the public. They saw 158 women and did
breast exams, health education and demonstrations about breast
self-examinations. Women with access to private medical care did not need any
follow-up. Sixty women were referred for follow-up, five of which were
malignant and did not have access to private medical care. This shows an
unequal experience in terms of women who have access to private healthcare and those
who do not.
There is a serious lack
of access to information among women in Dunoon and a lack of access to basic
healthcare. The existing healthcare is overburdened and results in long waiting
periods that cannot accommodate follow-up periods for women needing injectable
contraceptives. As a result, unplanned pregnancies arise. There were many other
issues raised as well – social, emotional and mental health issues. Students were
there to listen to the women and could contribute to the fight against breast
cancer.
Students involved in
this initiative experienced personal growth in terms of project management
skills, increased their personal knowledge and gained the opportunity to be of
service to this community. The gap between public and private healthcare needs
to be bridged. There needs to be more collaboration between SU, the DoH and
NPOs in this regard and more of these health promotion and screening days going
forward.