AM PARTNERS

"Health for Families” two-year project launched in 2010. The project aims to improve the health status of families in 59 target communities of Sisian, Goris, Tavush, Alaverdi and Meghri. The Project targeted at promoting healthy lifestyle, disease prevention, raising awareness and level of consciousness on the necessity of undergoing regular medical check-ups and visiting health care workers on time. The project implementation resulted in the creation of volunteer health groups that facilitated the cultivation of the practice to visit a doctor and raised awareness on what measures to take for common diseases and when to go to a health facility to seek medical help.   

“Health for Families” Project aimed to improve the health status of families in 59 target communities focusing on the following results:

• Improve the health, growth and development rates of children
• Promote the services for community-based reproductive health, prevention of common diseases and comprehensive family healthcare
• Develop the community capacity for delivering better quality primary medical services.

The Project evaluation methodology consisted of two types of surveys:

• Quantitative survey, which included:
• 570 interviews among mothers of children 9 months old and younger, using standardized questionnaires
• Review of the medical cards of 14-23 months old 675 children.
• Qualitative Survey, which included:
• Conducting 3 focus group discussions in the target communities
• Holding 12 interviews with the Project main informant community health workers.

The Project Evaluation was implemented in two ways:

1. The findings of the final evaluation survey in 2012 were compared to the baseline survey results of 2010, which resulted in general assessments, such as positive changes, i.e. improvement of the situation or negative changes, i.e. worsening of the situation.  
2. The findings of the final evaluation survey in 2012 were compared to the target figures of 4 main Project Evaluation indicators and based on this it was identified to what extent the Project had achieved its main objectives.  

Summing up the findings of the qualitative survey conducted among the main informants, a conclusion can be arrived at that the Project was useful for the target communities. In the context of the Project Evaluation, this means that the Project and the objectives it pursued were relevant to the needs of the communities.

The Project addressed such issues that needed to be resolved urgently. Substantial progress was observed in the areas the Project targeted at, such as preventing common diseases, promoting the culture of using health services, family planning, improving childcare knowledge. All healthcare workers agree that in the result of the Project implementation, the visits of the community population to health units have become more intensive and frequent.   

Under the Project the health units in the target communities were reconstructed and/or furnished, were equipped with medical tools and equipment. Consequently, the quality of healthcare services provided by the community health units has improved.

Healthcare workers unanimously agree that the workshops and trainings conducted under the Project have updated and expanded their knowledge. This has substantially enhanced the efficiency of their work. Subsequently, the trust in healthcare workers has increased in the Project target communities.