Primary Health Care in Action
Question 1
Social determinants are the conditions that people are born and live in that affect them. They include a variety of things, for example, access to economic, educational and job opportunities, health care availability, public safety, transportation options, socio-economic conditions, etc. The requirements can be physical, social, or economic. Exposure to bad behavior, which is a social determinant of health, had a significant effect on the Kalamburu, an indigenous community in Western Australia. In October of 2007, a number of their young men got arrested on charges of sexual assault. The indecent acts were a result of drug use. A child growing up in such an environment where drug use is every day, and there is no proper moral law to curb such practices, is bound to engage in them in the future. According to Esbec & Echeburua (2016), various types of crime and sexual behaviors are a result of the use of drugs. The younger generation in the community was affected by this substance addiction.
Experiences of early childhood and development is another social determinant that posed a challenge in this community. Many of the older generations experienced abuse from the Europeans. They, therefore, did not know how to deal with the same situation that was happening decades later in the same community. Disassociation can be an adverse effect on a negative occurrence that happened during the earlier stages of development of someone and thus can affect how they relate with themselves or others (Schalinski et al. 2016). The older generation did not know how to deal with the emerging issues of rape by the younger men in their community. It is why they sought help.
Question 2
Primary Health Care (PHC) is essential because it provides universal and accessible medical care to a given community. A need for improving the level of health care for the area is a guide to this principle. The people needed emotional as well as physical healing from the trauma they experienced. The older people, as well as the younger ones, had all gone through some form of abuse. They had not been free to talk about it. The healing CIRCLE (Collaborative Indigenous Research Centre for Learning and Educating) provided them with a platform to share their stories. According to Mahamid (2019), counseling is an excellent way to deal with rape, abuse, and other traumas experienced by oneself. Either a trained professional or religious leader does this work.
Developing the capability of the Kalamburu, therefore, leading to self-reliance was also another principle that guided the Gnibi project. Education is provided by volunteers who engage with the members of the community. As the saying goes, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. The various talks and activities that are done during this time keep the men and women active and busy, therefore, reducing negative habits. The young men also have a platform where they can discuss the issues affecting them and get solutions and, in turn, become better citizens. It is a health care principle that equips the members of the community with skills that will enable them to solve a variety of issues on their own without requiring the volunteers every time (Clendon & Munns, 2018). It gives them a sense of responsibility and independence to make informed choices and to trust their judgment.
Question 3
The Ottawa Charter for health promotion had some strategies in place, which include advocate, mediation, and enable. The Gnibi project used Enable. It entails reaching of health equity. The individuals are empowered to control the factors that affect their health and well-being. They are also educated on how to manage them and deal with them more productively. Eventually, it enhances their quality of life and makes them better members of society. The Ottawa Charter, and the Gnibi Project, both advocate for health promotion. Observation on the importance of mental health in the tribe of the Kalamura is paramount. If both the older and younger generation can talk freely about the issues that have affected them and heal from them, then they are better placed to protect and love the younger and more vulnerable generation. They can also give them advice.
In the video, the evidence is derived from the meeting under a tree where they talk about their experiences. This sharing provides healing to them. The safe environment of the circle assures them that whatever they say there will not leave the watermark. They are, therefore, more free to express themselves. The men and women alike all have forums where they engage with one another in confidence. In the Charter, a foundation that is secure and in a conducive environment, information access, availability of life skills, and opportunities that lead to good life choices appear in the strategy. All of this is clear from the Gnibi project. People cannot achieve their fullest health potential unless they can take control of those things that determine their health. This concept must apply equally to women and men.
Question 4
Cultural competence refers to attitudes, behaviors, and policies that comprise an agency, system, or colleagues. They enable quality working in cross-cultural communities. Cultural competence requires organizations to; define principles, values, attitudes, behavior, structures, and policies that allow working in the intercultural communities, be able to offer a diversity of value, self-assessment tests, manage different dynamics, institutionalize and acquire cultural knowledge and adaptation to diversity in the communities they attend to, incorporate the points above in making policies, practice, administration, service delivery, and to involve the consumers, stakeholders, and the intended communities. Cultural competence integrates and transforms the knowledge about groups of people and individuals into standards and policies that increase the quality of services in cultural settings. Production of better outcomes ensures.
There are several principles of cultural competence. They include a value of the cultural belief of the client, a broad definition of culture, recognition of language interpretation complexity, facilitation of learning between communities and providers, collaboration with other agencies, the institutionalization of cultural competence, a professional approach to training and staff hiring and the involvement of the population in addressing and defining community needs. This competence is essential in determining the success of a project because it makes one able to understand and communicate effectively with people across different cultures. It produces better results as compared to when a person cannot communicate with others of different communities. Mutual trust and relationship building happen, and people open up more to you. Misinterpretation of information and lack of proper communication is done away with, and people understand each other clearly. The project, therefore, yields better results.
The video shows cultural competence in various parts. First, when the volunteers are interacting with the inhabitants of the area. They use the same language, and this indicates that they can communicate better with each other. They also meet them at their point of comfort, for example, under a tree. It makes the locals build a stronger relationship with them since they can fit in with what the community enjoys or is known to them. There are also instances where they are cooking together and sharing food. This communal feasting is also a way of blending while talking about life. The children are also engaged in activities such as face painting, which makes them freer with the personnel who are there to volunteer and help them.
A study conducted to enable health caregivers to understand the importance of this competence (Sarah et al. 2018) had various findings. Rodger’s evolutionary analysis method was employed to help clarify some concepts and terms as well as to determine the implications that are there to allow for more research. The advantages of the knowledge of the diversity of culture became evident. They include care satisfaction, healthcare of good quality, better treatment adherence, and an improvement in health outcomes. Cultural competence can be acquired through being aware of other cultures and how communication with them is developed, ability see and imagine another person’s situation from an emotional and intellectual point of view and adaptation to behaviors of the culture.
References
Clendon, J., & Munns, A. (2018). Community Health and Wellness: Principles of primary health care. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Esbec, E., & Echeburúa, E. (2016). Substance abuse and crime: considerations for a comprehensive forensic assessment. Adicciones, 28(1).
Henderson, S., Horne, M., Hills, R., & Kendall, E. (2018). Cultural competence in healthcare in the community: a concept analysis. Health & social care in the community, 26(4), 590-603.
Mahamid, F. (2019). The Effectiveness of a Counselling Program Based on Play in Reducing Sleep Disorders in Children of Sexual Abuse. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 10(3), 292-310.
Schalinski, I., Teicher, M. H., Nischk, D., Hinderer, E., Müller, O., & Rockstroh, B. (2016). Type and timing of adverse childhood experiences differentially affect severity of PTSD, dissociative and depressive symptoms in adult inpatients. BMC psychiatry, 16(1), 295.
Zask, A., & Fry, D. (2017). Applying the Ottawa Charter to inform health promotion program design.