Orphans and Vulnerable Children - CRIN

Barriers to Healthcare and Ways to Ensure Access

In this activity, you will:

 Discuss the barriers that stop OVC from accessing healthcare and how

community-based initiatives can help

Facilitator’s notes:

For this activity you will need:

 Flipchart and markers

To facilitate this activity:

1 Ask participants to brainstorm the barriers that prevent vulnerable children from accessing
healthcare services. Write responses up on the flipchart, reviewing from your facilitator’s notes.

2 Then divide the participants into small groups of two to three each. Each group should come
up with a few existing healthcare services, and some possible community-based initiatives to help
OVC access healthcare. Groups will report back to plenary. Discuss their responses and remind
participants that they, as home visitors, should help to put these community-based initiatives into
practice in order to help the children whose health they will be monitoring.

Activity 4

30 minutes

Barriers that prevent OVC from accessing healthcare:

• Lack of knowledge and information on the part of guardians, caregivers and the
  children themselves regarding the different diseases that afflict children


• Lack of knowledge and information on the part of guardians or caregivers on the
  causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment of these diseases


• Lack of healthcare services available in the community


• Lack of finances and resources in caregiver households to pay for transport, service
  fees and medication.

Community-based approaches to ensuring OVC have access to healthcare:

• Make sure that parents, guardians and home visitors of vulnerable children are informed
  about ways of preventing illnesses, including HIV/AIDS


• Make sure that parents, guardians and home visitors of OVC are aware of medical
  services available in the community, and assist them to access these services


• Provide OVC and their caregivers with transportation to clinics


• Provide money to pay for clinic fees and medicines


• Negotiate with clinics and healthcare providers to provide discounted or free health
  services to vulnerable children


• Provide insecticide-treated bed nets and other methods to prevent malaria


• Call for immunisations and child under-five medical services in the community


• Advocate for more healthcare workers, clinics and health services to be made available
  in the community.

Guide to Mobilising and Strengthening Community-Led Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Unit 2, Module 3^245