Village Health Teams - Facilitator’s Guide for Training and Participants Manual

Two materials, one for the facilitator or the trainer, and the other for people selected to become members of Village Health Teams (VHT) in Uganda, are presented here together.

The first material is a guidebook for facilitators of trainings for VHT. Trained VHT carry out health promotion and health education activities in their communities. The guide offers a training methodology to facilitate the trainer’s work in preparing VHT members for the work they will do. This methodology is designed to help them develop the skills required for their mission, including health education, working with reproductive health and identifying illness, such as malaria. Because handling adult learners requires knowledge, care, and experience to give the VHT the skills needed to carry out their tasks, the guidebook suggests that training should be carefully planned and well organised.

The guide begins with an explanation of the structure and methodology (preparation and implementation of each theme) and then provides content and methodology for each of the following themes:

• The Village Health Team
  • Village Map
  • Village Register
  • Summary Report
• Visit Village Members
  • Home visiting
  • VHT Job Aids
  • Health Talks
  • Home follow-up
• Help Save Lives
  • Danger signs in sick children
  • Danger signs for pregnant women
  • Referral
  • Immunisation
  • ANC and PNC (antenatal and post natal care) checks
  • Newborn care
  • First Aid
• Link the Village and the Health Unit
  • Plan activities
  • Supporting Health Unit
  • Village leaders
  • Reporting diseases
  • Family Planning
• Mobilise the Village
  • Community Mobilisation
• Hold Monthly Team Meetings
  • Monthly VHT meetings

The second material is the participation manual. It includes an introduction, as well as an explanation of the purpose, profile, and responsibilities of the VHT. A glossary explains terms and acronyms that the VHT will need to be familiar with. The manual then provides information to accompany the trainer presentation on recording and examining the village statistics, visits to village members, helping to save lives (medical information), linking the village and the health unit, mobilising the village, and holding monthly meetings.