In the immediate aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Haruna, which struck Madagascar’s exposed and populated southwest coast as a category two cyclone on 22 February, the United States Government has announced it will provide U.S. $50,000 in emergency relief to provide material assistance for cyclone victims.
The US government through USAID has committed for decades to supporting the Malagasy people in fighting poverty. USAID launched officially in August 2011 the Malagasy Healthy Families (MAHEFA) program, a $35 million 5-year community-based integrated health program that provides quality health cares to rural populations in isolated areas in northern and northwestern Madagascar.
Figures speak for themselves—fifty percent of children under five years in Madagascar are acutely or chronically malnourished. The US government through USAID/Madagascar and its community health project, Santenet2, is working to put an end to this situation by presenting, on Thursday May 24, twenty baby scales to the community health volunteers (CHVs) in Anjeva Gare and Ambanitsena communes, to help them monitor the growth of children 5 in their respective villages.
Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of and/or have an unusually close understanding of the community they serve. This trusting relationship enables CHVs to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.
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