Monitoring Progress

Evidence of Success

BHI has been thorough in monitoring the success of our interventions. Surveys have been conducted over the years to tell us whether or not weíre progressing:

  • 2006 oral survey
  • 2007 general health survey (hemoglobin, height, weight, protozoans, worms)
  • 2010 general health survey (hemoglobin, height, weight, protozoans, worms)
  • Repeat of general health survey as early as 2014

Results from these surveys have been published in peer reviewed journals and are accessible here.

Worm infections may represent the worldís leading cause of growth retardation and stunting. Childhood malnutrition diminishes adult intellectual ability and work capacity. This further diminishes the socioeconomic integrity of a community, and continues the vicious cycle of poverty, malnutrition and parasitic disease.

Hemoglobin concentration is an indicator of anemia, which has many underlying causes, including malaria, geohelminth infection, and/or malnutrition. The frequency of anemia in a population may be the most important single measure of the overall health status of a population.

A general health survey in Bawa and Nloh conducted in 2010 revealed that 35.2% of children and adolescents were stunted, 15.6% were severely stunted and 37.9% of children 2 to 10 years of age exhibited low weight for age. Stunting tends to result from chronic undernutrition and/or worm infection.

Between 2007 and 2010, the prevalence of anemia in Bawa was reduced from 75.8% to 49.1%. This decrease occurred at the same time as the decrease in worm infections. Additionally, the frequency of severe anemia in Bawa decreased from 3.5% to 0.5% during the same time period.

When the health clinic and health education center are built, the villagers hope to address the problems of malnutrition. You can help them make this happen.