At Rotary, we’re dedicated to making a positive difference in communities around the world. One of our areas of focus is Disease Prevention and Treatment. Our members help to improve health care systems, limit the spread of infectious diseases, and reduce the number of cases and effects of non-communicable diseases.How can you increase the effectiveness of your next project? Discover these eight essential tips for a successful disease prevention and treatment project.....
Here are just a few examples of how Rotary members are working to prevent and treat disease around the world:
- Polio eradication has been Rotary’s top humanitarian initiative for more than 35 years.
- The Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge is a multi-million dollar initiative that aims to improve health outcomes for children in Africa by enhancing sustainable community health systems.
- The United to End Cervical Cancer program promotes awareness and vaccination against HPV, a leading cause of this disease, in Egypt.
- The Rotary Family Health Days program provides free health screenings and vaccinations for millions of people in Africa and India.
- The Rotary Club of Taveuni, Fiji, hosted a team of six dental volunteers from New Zealand and Australia to improve the dental health of young adults on the island by treating dental problems and teaching them proper oral hygiene.
These programs are making a real difference in people’s lives. Are you ready to take action? Here are eight essential tips for successful disease prevention and treatment projects in your community:
- Consult with a Rotary Action Group that works in disease prevention and treatment to help your club build a strong relationship with a community, understand its priorities, and together develop a project to address the community’s concerns.
- Communicate with local and regional hospitals, clinics, universities, and ministries of health to avoid duplicating efforts and to take advantage of local resources.
- Collaborate with community health care workers and other health and medical volunteers to support project development and implementation. In Zambia, Rotary is working to reduce malaria cases by training and equipping community health workers to test and treat the disease. The success of this program highlights the importance of local leadership and participation.
- Partner with successful community-based organizations to strengthen their capacity and expand existing services.
- Work with local, regional, district, and national health systems to increase people’s access to equipment, facilities, and the latest health care programs.
- Incorporate innovative technologies and tools to extend the reach of health centers. A good example is the Remotheart project, an initiative where Rotary clubs and district resource network experts joined forces to innovate and expand healthcare in Italy.
- Work with local health centers to develop programs that attract health workers with a variety of skills.
- Work with local universities, nursing schools, and other health care training facilities to provide educational opportunities in locations where employees live, in order to maximize retention rates.
For more information, check out Rotary’s Areas of Focus guide. And be sure to browse the Service Project Center for project ideas and potential initiatives to support. If we all work together, we can make the world a healthier place for everyone.