Oxfam in Bangladesh - Staying healthy in Dinajpur: meet Afroza
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Afroza works in an Oxfam-supported
health clinic in Dinajpur, north- west Bangladesh. She uses
visual aids to help people to understand her advice |
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Photo: Dominic Vickers/Oxfam
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"Everyone who comes to see the doctor also comes to me to
receive health education. I have a number of visual aids, and also
some examples of cheap sources of nutrition. For example, when you
say ‘protein’, people tend to think only of expensive
foods like meat and fish, which they can’t afford, but actually
lentils are a cheaper alternative.
"I give advice on healthy eating during pregnancy and on weaning
babies at five months. Mothers tend to breast-feed for up to two
years here, and no-one uses bottled milk. Goitre is a problem in
the area, because of iodine deficiency. UNICEF has helped to pay
for the production of iodine-enriched salt, so that it is only slightly
more expensive than ordinary salt.
"The part I enjoy the most is when people are really motivated
about healthy living. One particular success was when, without knowing
any sign language, I communicated to a deaf and dumb woman who was
pregnant, telling her that she was at risk and needed to go to hospital.
She did, and she had a safe delivery.
"In the last eight months I have seen a change. People are
now coming to us to find out how to do things properly."
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