active· Health

F.a: Regularisation and Decent Work for Quality Community Health Services

Around 52 000 Nepalese community health care volunteer workers form the backbone of basic health care services in the communities especially on the countryside. They serve as the link between the population and the official health care system by participating in many basic service programs and referring clients forward when needed. They take care among other things of family planning, basic health of mothers and children, immunization and nutrition advice. Around 90 % of the population use their services. These workers are all women who are not considered workers but ?volunteers?. Their training for their tasks is superficial, and the compensation they receive for their work is merely symbolic. The objective of the project is to organize the health volunteers into trade unions that, when they have gained power, are able to influence structural reforms whereby this extremely vulnerable group is officially recognized as workers that are entitled to decent salary, adequate professional training and recognition for the work carried out in difficult circumstances. The project carries out information and education work, for the health care workers to get to know their rights and demand them. Member recruitment and encouragement for activism is a prerequisite of success, and advocacy work is done through campaigning and negotiations with political decision-makers. Through PSI networks good examples are shared from Pakistan?s successful campaign for regularization of the sector and the salary increase campaign of Mumbai, India. The beneficiaries of the project are Nepalese community health workers and their organizations. Indirectly the whole population benefits from the improvement of the position of health workers who gain better working conditions and better training. The project partner is the international public sector union Public Services International PSI, and the implementers are two Nepalese PSI affiliates: Nepal Health Volunteers Association NEVA and Health Volunteers Organisation of Nepal HEVON.