When we talk about health issues, our mind automatically thinks of a doctor, a nurse, a hospital or some treatment for some disease, but have you ever wondered about the work carried out by health promoters, especially when it comes to providing basic medical care to minority groups in remote localities of large cities and metropolitan areas? Maybe not, but don’t worry, in this article we are going to inform ourselves a little about the role of health promoters when it comes to prevention and education in basic health issues.
Health promoters, also known as community health workers, are community members who acquire basic knowledge in health care and who with their skills and abilities help members of their community to have access to available health resources.
Due to the pandemic, the role played by these brave people in their communities had a greater impact and greater visibility, and this is due to many factors, among which, in their ability to interrelate with different groups in their localities, the cultural competence they have, the knowledge of their environments and the real needs of the population and their genuine interest in supporting the people with whom they live. promoting healthy lifestyles and helping those in need.
Community Health Workers help ensure that the objectives set by public health authorities are met and access to health is guaranteed, especially as we mentioned earlier, to the communities that need the services more than others. Among the main services that these workers can offer to the population we have: blood tests, blood pressure test, basic checkups to evaluate the patients’ health, sharing information and public health resources, serving as intermediaries between families and family doctors, interpretation services and helping people in filling out forms that patients require to receive more complex medical services or specialty medicine, among other important services.
The skills of health promoters and their ability to respond to emergencies represent valuable elements that put these health servers in a very important place within health providers.
Health promoters can have a very wide field of action since they have knowledge on many general topics, but if they decide to focus on something specific, they can help a particular population group and have a greater impact, in addition they become experts in certain topics.
Good health habits help us to have a better quality of life, good preventive health practices translate into having a better chance of enjoying our families for longer. There are barriers that limit us to have a totally healthy lifestyle or to follow the health recommendations just as they are indicated, taking care of ourselves and our body sometimes is complicated, but we can start with simple things, such as trying to eat healthier, doing a few minutes of exercise a day, drinking plenty of water, and giving ourselves time to be in a peaceful and quiet place, also has a positive impact on our health.
Sources: