(previous) perform dramas on a local radio station with district-wide coverage. These have had an excellent reception, and the peer educators enjoy the feeling of celebrity that these performances provide!

JHS Health Teaching Program / In 2007, in an effort to expand health education in local schools, a heath curriculum was developed in collaboration with local school and health leaders specifically to address the needs of local young adolescents. Our staff teaches these classes in concert with our youth peer educators.

The curriculum moves from basic issues of puberty, menstruation, hygiene etc. for the Form 1s, to a greater focus on reproductive health issues and life skills with the Form 2 and 3s. The youth peer educators participate in these sessions by acting out role plays, leading discussions etc. This also has the effect of making the peer educators more visible to their peers should they need advice.

Girls’ empowerment / Gender inequality has an impact on the health and education levels of both women and the community as a whole. In an effort to change practices that are harmful in this way, GHEI incorporates aspects of girls’ empowerment and gender inequality into all aspects of our work. In addition to these ongoing efforts, GHEI runs annual girls’ empowerment camps for groups of teenagers, led by groups of Serve and Learn volunteers. As well as informal teaching about adolescent sexual health issues, the camps involve life skills training on topics such as decision-making, self-confidence, and assertiveness.

Interventions

Malaria Prevention / In children, malaria causes more morbidity and mortality in Bibiani District than any other disease. GHEI provides insecticide treated nets (ITNs), education and net retreatment services. We aim to scale up our model of malaria prevention to the district level to serve a population of more than 100,000 people in more than 80 villages.

In 2007, GHEI began a community directed project to determine the most effective and appropriate way to prevent malaria in Bibiani District. Starting with the village of Surano, GHEI worked with community members to conduct focus groups and key informant interviews, and administer questionnaires based on the Malaria Indicator Survey from the (continued)