Community Health Management and Community Empowerment Towards Health Community

Background and rationale

The health of people is determined by various factors including lifestyle, economy, society, culture, environment and one’s own mentality. The influence of these factors can vary due to the difference in one’s community context, however the ultimate goal is to achieve healthy community. In Thailand, the nation’s health system has the community as its foundation. A community well-being system is the foundation of all existing health. Healthy communities are based on the following principles: Healthy state of complete physical, mental and social well being. Social environmental and economic factors are important determinants of human health and are inter-related. All sectors of community are inter-related and should share their knowledge, expertise, working together to create a healthy community.

A healthy community process involves wide community participation involvement by all sectors of the community, local government commitment and creation of healthy public policies.

Healthy community development is described as one which includes elements that enable people to maintain a high quality of life and productivity, access to health care services, and a safe environment. Before achieving the goal of healthy community the community must be empowered to promote community strength. A characteristic of strong community is a community that can analyze their social capital of the community and integrate it into the community master plan for community health development.

Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University has been involved in the national research project on community health system development for the last 3 years and is involved with 44 healthy communities and 88 extended communities throughout Thailand. For Chiang Mai province there are 6 healthy communities and 12 extended communities. The lesson learned from this research can be shared with other countries. The healthy communities can be the learning resources for this training course.

Duration:  March 11 - 29,  2013

Closing Date for Applications: December 10, 2012

Number of Participants: 17 persons

Invited Countries:

Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, China, CARICOMMember Countries, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, FEALAC Member Countries, Gabon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, OAS Member Countries, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, PIF Member Countries, (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Cook Island, Solomon Island, Marshall Island, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu), Republic of Seychelles, Senegal, Sri Lanka, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Vietnam, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Zambia and Thailand

Partic​ipant criteria

The participants should me​et the following criteria:

• be nominated by their government;
• Working as a health personnel for at least 2 years;
• Sufficient command of spoken and written English
• Computer literacy
• Be able to fully participate throughout the training course
• Age under 45 years
• Be in good health both physically and mentally

Objectives

The training workshop aims to provide participants with the opportunity to :

• Understand health systems
• Understand the principle concepts in community empowerment
• Develop tools to identify social capital of the community
• Data management and utilization for community health development
• Understand the community health assembly to develop healthy public policy
• Indentify working strategies, roles of local community organizations, NGO’s, community leaders, health volunteers and groups in working together toward healthy community
• Understand the process of community empowerment and community health management towards healthy community
• Share knowledge and experiences in community empowerment, community health development
• Develop networking among participants and organizations work with the communities.

Course Content

This 3 weeks course consists of 4 parts:

• Lectures and discussions
• Community practice
• Field studies
• Country presentations

Course outline for lectures and discussions

Course outline for lectures will include:

• Health care delivery systems

• Principle concepts and tools for community health development

• Principle concepts and process for community empowerment

• Community assessment tools development

• Collecting data on community social capital community health status

• Community data management and utilization

• Community health planning development

• Working strategies. Roles of local community organizations, NGO’s, community leaders and volunteers in working together towards healthy community

• Healthy public policy development process

Community practice

• Community assessment tools development

• Community data collection

• Community data management

• Community health planning

Field studies

• Donkaew Learning Community, Chiang Mai Province

• Sarapee Community Hospital, Chiang Mai Province

• Sansai Sub-district, Chiang Mai Province

• Thawangtan Sub-district, Chiang Mai Province

• Sannameng Sub-district, Chiang Mai Province

• Petchabun Health Promoting Hospital at Tambon level, Petchabun Province

• Nong Khwai Health Promoting Hospital at Tambon Level, Phetchabun Province

Country presentations

Participant from each country needs to prepare the country information:

• Demographic data

• Country health system

• National Health Policy and strategy towards national goal

Ven​ue

The course will be for three weeks duration from March 11 - 29, 2013 in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Expected results

After this training course the participants will able to describe community empowerment and community health management process and gain ideas and experiences in community health development towards healthy community.

Evaluation

1. Exercise
2. Evaluation form
3. Participation
4. Presentation
5. Reflection

Institution:

The course will be conducted by:

Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University [Nursing Service Center]

Associate Professor Dr .Thanaruk Suwanprapisa
Dean, Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University 
Chiang Mai, Thailand 50200 
Tel [6653] 945011, 949143
Fax [6653] 217145

Associate Professor Wilawan Senaratana
Director of Nursing Service (Training Center), Chiang Mai University 
Chiang Mai, Thailand 50200 
Tel [6653] 949160, 949151
Fax [6653] 212629

Collaborative Organization

• Chiang Mai Provincial Health Office
• Petchabun Provincial Health Office