FEMALE COMMUNITY HEALTH

VOLUNTEER [FCHV]

Prepared by
Roll no: 1-7
 INTRODUCTION
The women who work as a volunteer to
promote the health of the ward of a
certain VDC are known as Female
community health volunteer .
Recognizing the importance of women
participation in promoting health of the
people government of Nepal initiated the
FCHV program in fiscal year 2045/46.
It was first initiated from 27 districts, the
approach involve one FCHV per ward
regardless of the population size and later
in 1993 it was expended [with donor
support] to cover all 75 districts in Nepal.
There are 51,420 FCHVs working in Nepal
(according to DoHS Annual Report 74/75
Fiscal year).
FCHV play a vital role in reducing child
mortality, particular through vitamin
supplementation.
FCHV distributes birth control pills and
condoms, oral rehydration solution
packets for diarrhea, promote regular
childhood immunization, treat
pneumonia, distribute iron tablets to
pregnant women and provide antenatal
care to mothers.
Most importantly, they provide and
invaluable grassroots link between local
families and institution based health
services through outreach and referral.
 OBJECTIVES
 Mobilize a pool of motivated volunteers
to connect health programs with
communities and to provide
community-based health services,
 activate women to tackle common
health problems by imparting relevant
knowledge and skills;
 Increase community participation in
improving health.
 Develop FCHVs as health motivators and
 Increase the use of health care services.
 PLACE OF WORK:
In her own ward.
They work by following these principles:
Teach the people how to be healthy by
their own actions and efforts.
Teach and demonstrate the essential
things needed for good health.
Provide simple treatment services.
Encourage participation of local people
in different programs.
 SELECTION PROCESS OF FCHV
Selected by members of mothers group
with the help of health personnel in each
ward.
Provided 18 days training in two phases
on selected primary health care
components.
After basic training FCHV are provided
with certificate and medical kit box free of
cost consisting necessary drugs and
supplies.
Also provided with manuals flip chart,
ward register, FCHV bag, signboard and
identity card for family planning services.
 BASIS OF SELECTION OF FCHV
Permanent resident of the related ward
of VDC.
Interested to work as FCHV for as least
10 years.
Age between 25-45 years.
Married or single (priority to be given to
women having up to 3 children in case of
a married women).
Having commitment to serve the
community.
Priority will be given to those, who can
read and write.
Priority will be given to women from
Dalit, Janajati and Marginalized groups.
Those who are interested to be FCHV will
have to submit an application to mothers
group.
The population ratio for an expanded
population-based program will be as
follows:
Terai: 1FCHV per 1000 population.
Hills: 1 FCHV per 350 population.
High mountains: 1 FCHV per 200
population.
 MOTIVATIONAL INCENTIVES FOR
FCHV
MoH established FCHV funds of NPR 50,000
in each VDC mainly to promote income
generation activities.
Dress allowance for FCHVs increased from
NPR 6,000 to NPR 7,500.
The government has allocated budget (NPR
20,000) for farewells to FCHVs over 60 years
of age as recommended by health mothers’
groups.
 ACTIVITIES
Play a supportive role in linking the
community with available PHC services
and will continue to play an important
role related to family planning, maternal/
neonatal health, child health and select
infectious diseases at the community
level.
It is recognized that FCHVs act voluntarily
as health educators and promoters,
community mobilizer, referral agents and
community- based service providers in
each of the health areas for which have
been trained.
 CORE ACTIVITIES
1. Family Planning
Educate couples about the importance
of family planning and birth spacing
Provide family planning community-
based counseling including information
on alternative methods, side effects,
advantages, disadvantages, where to go
services.
Distribute condoms.
Refer clients interested in other
contraceptive methods to the
appropriate health facilities.
 2. Maternal/Neonatal Health
a. General:
Educate the community on benefits or
delayed first sex.
Marriage and childbearing, and the
importance of safe sex.
Promote balance nutrition and tetanus
toxoid.
Immunization for adolescent girls [age10-
19].
b. Antenatal care:
Educate and motivate women about
antenatal care, conveying the following
message;
Attend at least four antenatal checkups
and receive two tetanus toxides
immunization.
Eat a healthy and varied diet.
Take iron/folate supplements.
Reduce work load and get more rest.
Identify pregnancy related danger signs.
Refer high risk clients to health facilities.
c. Delivery Care:
Educate and motivate woman about safe
delivery care ,conveying the following
message;
Plan a safe and clean home delivery with
skilled attendance.
Identify delivery related complications.
Take a appropriate action upon observing
complications.
Refer women to health facilities and skilled
birth attendants for home delivery.
d. Postnatal Care:
Educate and motivate women about
postnatal care conveying the following
message;
Take vitamin A supplement within six
weeks postpartum.
Continue iron/folate supplementation for
six weeks postpartum.
Attend three postnatal visits.
Eat a healthy and varied diet.
Reduce workload and get more rest.
Plan to use family planning methods for
birth spacing.
Identify postpartum danger sign.
Refer women exhibiting danger signs to
health facilities.
e. Newborn Care:
Promote normal newborn care and
educate women about following
messages.
Immediate wiping and drying.
Wrapping and keeping warm.
Immediate breastfeeding including
colostrums.
Delay bathing for at least 24 hour.
Apply nothing on stump other than
chlorehexidine.
Identify newborn danger signs.
Take appropriate action upon observing
danger signs.
Educate mother about the importance of
preventing harmful newborn practices.
Refer infants with danger signs to health
facilities.
 3. Child Health
a. Diarrhea:
 Educate mothers how to prevent diarrhea
through improved hygiene and sanitation.
Promote home-based care and treatment
of diarrheal dehydration.
Teach mothers about ORS preparation.
Educate mothers about the danger signs
of dehydration and action to take upon
observing signs.
Distribute ORS packets.
Refer severe cases of diarrheal
dehydration to health facilities.
b. Acute Respiratory:
Promote home-based care and treatment
of cold, cough and pneumonia.
Educate mothers about ARI danger signs
and action to take upon observing danger
signs.
Refer severe cases to appropriate health
facilities.
c. Nutrition:
Teach mothers about the importance of
exclusive breastfeeding for 6months and
continued breastfeeding for at least 2 years.
Promote timely, proper introduction and
types of locally available weaning foods after
child reaches 5months of ages.
Promote use of iodized salt.
Distribute semi-annually Vitamin A
supplements for all children from 6months
to 5 years and deworming medication for
children from 2-5 year.
Identify malnourished children and refer
to health facilities.
Refer night blind children and pregnant
women, and other cases requiring high-dose
Vitamin A treatment to health facilities.
d. Immunization:
Identify children and women who need
immunizations and encourage their
attendance at immunization clinics.
Inform mothers about the importance of
routine immunization and the dates and
location of immunization clinics.
 4. Infectious Disease
a. STDs and HIV/AIDS:
Provide information and education on STIs
and HIV/AIDS.
Refer suspected STI cases to health
facilities for diagnosis and treatment.
b. Tuberculosis, Leprosy, Malaria, Kala-azar
and Japanese Encephalitis:
Provide information and education about
the infectious disease affecting their locality.
Educate community about transmission,
prevention and available treatment.
Refer suspected cases to health facilities.
 5. Other Activities
 Provide limited first aid services and refer
severe cases to health facilities.
 Maintain completed ward register and
submit to supervisor on monthly basis.
(Re)activate mother’s group, serve as
mother’s group secretary and actively
participate in regular monthly meetings.
Participation in PHC-ORC clinic and
Immunization clinic.
First-Aid management.
 REFERENCES
Dahal kabita,pandey nira leadership and
management in nursing 2nd edition,makalu
publication.page no:346-355
 DoHs,Annual Report 2074\75 (2017\18)
Female community health volunteer training
programme manual 2073
www.mohp.gov.np
www.publichealthupdate.com
Thank you