Exploring the Roads to Community and Family Health through Community Advocacy, Empowerment, Healthcare, Mobilization, and Research

Overview
Roads To Health is a non-profit health and research organization for charity, scientific, and educational purposes aimed at exploring the roads to community and family health through community advocacy, education, empowerment, healthcare, mobilization, research, and training. Roads To Health (RTH) explores the ‘many’ roads to ‘optimal’ health using integrated low resourced evidence-based, community-based, and sustainable primary healthcare programs targeting rural, hard to reach, and other vulnerable population. The RTH model focuses on community, existing systems, and external partners to target three main areas 1) agriculture (nutrition and food security), 2) education (literacy rates and school-based), and 3) health (access to primary health care water, sanitation and hygiene outreach and skilled service utilization) programs. We place emphases on pregnant women, children, and infectious diseases to reduce the poor health outcomes. Roads To Health is registered in the State of New Jersey (ID #: 0400731476) and a federal 501(c)(3) charity (EIN: 47-3400338). We are a group of African and other professionals serving as volunteers to assist with improving the healthcare system in selected African countries.

RTH model is based on three main components – 1) community, 2) existing systems (targeting mainly agriculture, education, and health) and 3) Roads To Health and external partners. There are two core components of the model – the community and existing systems. The basis of the community as the fundamental component is that research have shown that programs developed using community-based participatory approaches can be more sustainable and implemented with appreciable results because of the intricate processes of stakeholders’ involvements at all facets.

Burden of diseases are higher among rural, hard to reach, and other vulnerable populations because they are more likely to be poor powerless minorities, with low literacy rates have limited access to care and services and disproportionately affected by inequitable distribution of resources. They often seek health care only when sick or after trying unskilled options. Already merger health resources in poorer societies are often disproportionately used by those with higher burden of diseases. Benefits and major outcome measurements of RTH programs include: improved maternal child health surveillance/screening and increased referrals increased vaccinations reduced infectious diseases increased service utilization, and improved clean water supply and adequate hygiene and sanitation.Based on need assessment and piloted programs conducted in Liberia we identified at least 16 major issues but have targeted four of them as initial priorities for pilot programs that have been ongoing since 2015: 1) limited access to qualified health center 2) very limited skilled health personnel 3) low use of maternal and child health services and 4) low school enrollment with high dropout rates.

How we plan to use the evidence collected: Community health workers and traditional midwives are given incentives to fill in the enormous gaps due to limited skilled staffs. They are able to walk, use motorcycles, and bicycles to travel to villages where they also reside. They are assisting to carrying out primary healthcare with skilled providers such as vaccines monitoring given medications for malaria, diarrhea management, iron tablets, vitamins for pregnant women, and selected antibiotics and health education materials.• Outreach to the far away villages and towns by the skilled staffs and community health workers• Selections are based on accessibility, proximities, population and disease dynamics, and resource allocation.• Development of real-time monitoring, surveillance, and data dissemination. • Making program, epidemiologic, and statistical projection models Current Program/Research Activities: • Community health care workers outreach in towns and villages to render primary health care and health education• Training of nursing school faculty, doctors, nurses, physician assistants, midwives, laboratory technicians, community health workers, other professionals and workers/auxiliaries• Maternal waiting home to increase delivery services especially for high risk pregnant women• Sustainable farming – fish pond, poultry, and crops (including beans, peanuts, cassava, plantain, eddoes, rice…..)• Creating database to improve health information aggregation, storage, decision-making, and sharing.• Development of a 5-25-year longitudinal maternal, child, and reproductive health research to evaluate collaborative interventions.• Working with local health department and services

MISSION STATEMENT

Use integrated and locally developed sustainable evidence-based programs to improve the health status of rural, hard-to-reach, and vulnerable population.

Roads To Health (hereafter, referred to as RTH or Roads To Rural and Vulnerable Population Health) is a non-profit, integrated healthcare and research organization dedicated to promoting the development and provision of effective and sustainable services to vulnerable, hard-to-reach, and rural populations. RTH explores the complex interconnections among a myriad of community, traditional/cultural, economic, educational, agricultural, social, and other factors that influence the development, deployment, and utilization of primary healthcare services. By combining evidence-based approaches and scientific research on established programs with a focus on better understanding the diversity and particular needs of specific communities, RTH seeks to improve the health status of targeted populations in Africa and other developing countries. A major aim of RTH is to build and strengthen partnerships among community, academic, clinical, geopolitical, and other stakeholders to integrate and enhance fundamental primary healthcare functions and activities through mobilization, empowerment, training, and efficient resource distribution with the goal of achieving reductions in mortality and morbidity through the delivery of preventive services and programs. RTH will also emphasize the dissemination of the findings of its research, evaluation, and program activities to improve community, regional, national, and international efforts toward health promotion and surveillance.

VISION STATEMENT

Partner with communities to understand problems affecting their health and deliver primary health care

RTH recognizes the potential of community members to participate in the development and implementation of their own health programs when appropriate resources are available. The vision of RTH is to serve as a resource base partner for people in developing nations and the underserved/underprivileged to provide linkages for local, regional, national, and international individuals, institutions, researchers, and other professionals who are interested in assisting vulnerable, hard to reach, and rural population with services that can improve their health through educational, agricultural, and social change initiatives.

STATEMENT OF VALUES

Health and Wellness, ethical standards, cultural/traditional sensitivity, respect, integrity, advocacy, and positive social change

RTH will adhere to high ethical standards and regulations governing health services delivery and research with special attention to the intended sector of the targeted vulnerable population that are often poor with little or no formal education and, therefore, vulnerable. These commitments will be guided by honesty, integrity, and transparency in the participatory processes of team building and dissemination of information.

• Our staffs

Consultants
Advisors
Partners

1. Dr. Jallah Kennedy, President
2. Angeline M. Jablasone, Treasurer
3. Robert S. Gaygay, Secretary
4. Moses B. Yoko


ADVISORS
1. Maggie Weaver, Nutrition, wellness, and health
2. Theresa Maddox, Social and mental health
3. Agnes Dunoh Health-, maternal child health
4. Tawah Fenner Health
5. Dr. Samuel Ngaima, Education
6. Vincent Halay, Education
7. Dr. Sam Duo, Agriculture
8. Dr. Daniel Cardwell, Agriculture and education
9. Zubah Kpanaku, Education
10. Sangai Lombeh ,Health

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
1. Dr. Jallah Kennedy, Executive Director
2. Abu Bakar Assistant, Executive Director
3. Angeline Jablasone, Treasurer
4. Jacqueline Kennedy, Program Director
5. Robert Gaygay Assistant Director (Research Scientist/Consultant) for health and biomedical services
6. ................. Assistant Director (Research Scientist/Consultant) for Community and Social Welfare