Write a Memo in health. Free topic election.
Memo
To:
Bruce Wayne, Country Director to CARE, Burkina Faso
From: Clark Kent, Nutrition Program Manager to CARE, Burkina Faso
CC:
Professor Wonder Woman, PhD
Date: 9 March 2005
Re:
Solutions to Maternal Health Education in rural areas of Willie Wonka
The Willie Wonka Government recognizes the main issues involved in setting up a maternal
education program regarding complementary feeding practices for children being weaned in the rural
setting. There are reasons why local cultural taboos and practices prevent communities from being
educated. Recommendations to successfully initialize a maternal education program are as followed:
Main Issues Initializing Maternal Education Program
Dietary Diversity
✓
Men buy meat to eat but do not share or share very little with their wives and children.
✓
The variety of foods a mother intake affects the nutrients in her breastmilk.
Hygiene
✓
Mother breastfeed their babies in dusty and windy areas.
✓
Flies land on baby’s face, eyes, and mouth.
✓
Adults and children do not wash their hands properly before eating and preparing food.
Appropriate Age and Age to Give Children Complimentary (Non-Breastmilk) Foods
✓
Foods are introduced to a baby too early. A baby’s stomach and immune system are not
developed enough to eat foods such as cereal before 4-6 months old and honey before 2
years old.
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✓
Formula is overdiluted, which causes baby to receive below minimal nutrition or to become
overhydrated. (Sometimes formula is used by rich families that have multi-births.)
✓
Foods can cause choking when it is not mashed up properly.
The Importance of Growth Monitoring
✓
When a baby does not eat the correct amount of foods, especially protein based foods, growth
retardation may occur.
✓
A baby’s improper feeding habits can cause underdeveloped brain growth.
Recommendations
Local cultural taboos and practices may be a problem when trying to educate the affected
communities about complementary feeding practices. Mothers may not understand that they past their
germs to their baby when they chew the food for the baby; this is not a good idea because the baby’s
immune system is not fully developed yet. It will be hard to teach the villagers because some of them
do not trust strangers and some believe what we do not practice is taboo. The best way to reach out to
the community is to get to know them. Gaining the villagers’ trust will be the hardest achievement, but
they will open doors to allow us to get our message across. Here are some suggestions:
✓
Receive support and advice on local protocol from the Ministry of Health, local king, health
committee members, village elders, healthcare workers, teachers, midwives, shamans, and
religious leaders.
✓
Train female elders, healthcare workers, teachers, and midwives to teach community about
maternal education.
✓
Heighten advocacy for maternal education lectures on market days. Work with a local
charismatic healthcare worker(s) to convey health information into the local language(s).
Create an entertaining learning environment through theatric plays, media coverage, posters,
and handouts.
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