Community Care & Support
In many countries, the health and care infrastructures fail to reach and address the needs of vulnerable populations, and this hampers real progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Cordaid strives to empower and strengthen community care and support in the pursuit of more structured health care.
In vulnerable populations, 90% of people get their health care from family and community caregivers - mostly women. This makes investing in women and community-driven care and support services a worthwhile investment to fill the void left by non-existent formal healthcare services. With community-driven care and support services Cordaid fills the gaps by providing a comprehensive set of services, including psychosocial, physical, socio-economic, nutritional and legal care and support. LINK to page 11 of this publication.
Did you know?
- 90% of care for people living with HIV and AIDS is provided at home by family or community caregivers (source: UNAIDS, 2004)
- This figure is similarly high for care of older people and people living with a disability
- Only 12% of households caring for orphaned children received external support, according to a 2008 study by UNICEF in 2008
- 81% of care and support volunteers are women
Conclusion: Children, the sick and the elderly rely on family and community members for care. Gender issues are at the core of the change agenda.
Community care and support systems result in:
• improved referral systems and services
• increased to access to sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information
• improved psycho-social support and improved nutrition
• reduction in stigma and discrimination of vulnerable groups
• increased adherence to treatment and reduction in loss of patients from insufficient follow up
The ten countries Cordaid is working in to improve community care and support are Bangladesh, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Malawi, Philippines, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.
Projects:
- Help Age India
- SWET Malawi
- Caregiver Action Network
The other focal themes in the sector Health and Well-being are:
- Women's Health
- Social Protection
- Health System Strengthening
