42nd Batch Field Health Activity

Menstrual health and hygiene is a global public health issue that affects women and girls of reproductive age. Especially school going students.

This causes negative impacts on their education, reduced self-confidence and personal development. So, this problem should be analyzed rationally and awareness and proper guidance should be provided among schools for the wellbeing of school students.

Together with WHO and UNICEF, University of Jaffna is committed to implementing the Jaffna Healthy City Project. Initially we attended the training workshop conducted by Engineer S. Radhika (Child Survival Development Officer, UNICEF), at Department of Community & Family Medicine, University of Jaffna. Then we prepared  the guide with our supervisor and translated in Tamil, Sinhala and English then publish the guide throughout the Northern Province.

Two projects were introduced to us, and we divided into two groups select the topic related to the “zero plastic” concept. They proposed nine schools in which they have already implemented workshops in selected schools in Jaffna area and NGO members wanted to make a report for each school via our research project. They suggested to do presentations for each school after the monitoring. Then we developed a check list and small questionnaire to assess knowledge about plastic usage among the students. During the monitoring, we mainly focused on classrooms, canteens. Playgrounds, and the school’s surrounding area. Finally, we had a focus group discussion with the teacher. After completion of the monitoring process, we discussed the progress of reducing the usage of plastic in each school. we made a presentation about zero plastic concept in angel international school.

After we created individual report for each school and we submitted to NGO and our supervisor.

Though the developing countries like Sri Lanka has proper urinary and fecal management techniques, there is lack of menstruation management annually government and private sector must invest additional thousands of millions to improve infrastructure and to solve the health issues related to this matter. Nowadays due to easy usage, most of the women tend to use disposable sanitary napkins rather than reusable sanitary items its leads to so many problems.

So, in our health program we planned to introduce proper sanitary waste management methods to institutions and aware women about hygienic issues related to improper sanitary waste disposal.

Initially we had field visits to all three faculties and documented the sanitary facilities they had. Then we had focused group discussions with both cleaning staffs and selected number of students in all 3 faculties. After these sessions we got positive feedbacks from students.

Finally, we hope to keep feminine hygiene bins in selective toilets and develop MHM toilets in all 3 faculties with the sponsorship of “Hemas company” and monitor them.

Skill development is an essential component in students’ life. In many schools in Sri Lanka students face various challenges in academics, extracurricular activities and relationships due to social issues such as unequal opportunities, negative peer pressure, crimes, bullying and substance.

Creativity, strategic thinking, problem solving, decision making, the ability to connect and cooperate as well as personal and social responsibility are necessary skills students should developed.

So we decided to do skill development guidance among students. We selected grade 10 students from Thellipalai Union college, Jaffna. We did meditation, warmup exercise, team games, motivational speech and Videos, creative story telling sessions and decisions making programs.

We got positive feedbacks from the students, teachers at the end of each session.

Menopause is a normal physiological process in a woman’s life. The hormonal changes during and after the menopause result in radical changes. To reduce the effects of the changes, lifestyle modification and hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) are well known methods of prevention and treatment.

The goal of our project is to improve the health of perimenopausal women. We undertook this project to promote the benefits of lifestyle modification and HRT and give an awareness of the myths on HRT. The activity was guided by specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology and public health. The field health activity consisted of developing health education material (leaflet, video) and holding a health promotion programme. The target audience was women above 40 years living in the Nallur, MOH area.

A pre- and post-questionnaire was administered to assess the effectiveness of the activity. The post-questionnaire included space for feedback. we found out that they got good knowledge about lifestyle changes and HRT via our programme.

We did promoting healthy foods among the school students. Healthy food is mandatory to lead a healthy life. Grade 8, 9 and 10 school students were chosen. The prime objective of the field health program is to promote healthy eating, create awareness about alternative ways to overcome this economic crisis and improve knowledge to avoid nutrition related diseases. Three schools from Jaffna educational zone were selected for the awareness programme.

We prepared some materials such as presentation, animated video, leaflets, banners, feedback form. we commenced the seminar. We did presentation, video clips and informative leaflets. Finally we got feedback form students.

According to their responses we can understand that most of the students were not aware of healthy lifestyle and long-term side effects of unhealthy eating pattern. Our programme helped the students to get enough knowledge on importance of balanced diet, food plate and food pyramid concept and negative effects on unhealthy eating.

Cancer has a tremendous financial and epidemiological impact on societies all around the world.

By educating and empowering individuals, promoting beneficial behaviors, and placing a focus on self-care, regulatory measures can have a positive ripple effect that can even affect future generation.

We were make leaflets and video presentation. We went to the CANE hospital, Tellipalai Base hospital, and CEDC clinic in Jaffna.

We conducted interviews with the CANE hospital matron, Mr. K. Thanujanan, Dr. Kavitha Indranath, Oncologist, Dr.Thanenthiran, Oncosurgeon, Dr.Thavarajah Kajan, Medical officer, MOH and Prof. R. Surenthirakumaran, Dean of the Jaffna Faculty of Medicine, for the video presentation. Two of our group members participated in the self-breast inspection procedures and introduction video clips for the video presentation.

We launched the video presentation and leaflets to the women who attended the MOH clinic, Nallur. We got to know that they had learned about early oral and breast cancer detection and screening. We anticipate that the community will receive a better prognosis for

oral and breast cancer as a result of our work on this initiative.

Three activities were planned to be conducted, workshops in the selected schools, a field visit program and creation of an awareness video.

Interested students from Grade 9 to 11 and the teachers responsible for the Agriculture subject from six schools under the Jaffna zone were selected as the target population. We did presentations regarding the benefits of consumption of natural foods over the processed foods and the importance of physical activity and how the school gardening can help in achieving the above two aspects.

A field visit program in the District Agriculture Training center (Farm School), Jaffna. The Farm School staffs organized the seminars, sight visit, practical demonstrations. The students were able to gain knowledge regarding the site selection, soil preparation, types of plants and seeds, planting methods, watering techniques, manage

Three activities were planned to be conducted, workshops in the selected schools, a field visit program and creation of an awareness video.

Interested students from Grade 9 to 11 and the teachers responsible for the Agriculture subject from six schools under the Jaffna zone were selected as the target population. We did presentations regarding the benefits of consumption of natural foods over the processed foods and the importance of physical activity and how the school gardening can help in achieving the above two aspects.

A field visit program in the District Agriculture Training center (Farm School), Jaffna. The Farm School staffs organized the seminars, sight visit, practical demonstrations. The students were able to gain knowledge regarding the site selection, soil preparation, types of plants and seeds, planting methods, watering techniques, management of weeds, pests and diseases, fertilizer preparation and usage and harvesting methods thought the practical demonstrations.

After one week we visited schools to look for the outcomes and collect the feedbacks. The students gave a positive response. The school gardening can help to increase the nutritious food intake and physical activity to lead a healthy life.

An awareness video saying the importance of school gardening and how the Farm School trains the students to implement the school garden.

ment of weeds, pests and diseases, fertilizer preparation and usage and harvesting methods thought the practical demonstrations.

After one week we visited schools to look for the outcomes and collect the feedbacks. The students gave a positive response. The school gardening can help to increase the nutritious food intake and physical activity to lead a healthy life.

An awareness video saying the importance of school gardening and how the Farm School trains the students to implement the school garden.

We did Creating awareness of substance use among school children of Grade 10 to 13. We have selected three schools in Nallur educational division. We have designed poster, presentation and some videos from online platforms. 230 school children’s were participated

We started with an introduction, followed by a PowerPoint presentation and small group discussion. At the end of the discussion was included a real-life interesting story about drug abuse. We provided a self-administered questionnaire to estimate the knowledge they gained from our program.

We mainly focused on improving the knowledge of various substances and effects to the human body and long-term complications to the body and community by presenting the suitable pictures, videos and real stories to school children. And we explained physical appearance and behavioral changes of substance users to children and awareness to avoid the drug dealer’s approaches and how to identify them. 

We were able to finish the activities in all three schools successfully because students were very corporative. We are dignified and honored to do a field health program on such a good topic.