Community health

Significant progress has been made in many areas of health in recent decades. Maternal and newborn health has improved, the availability of vaccines has increased, and medication has been developed for many communicable diseases.

However, this development has been unequal: half of the world’s population still have no access to essential healthcare services.

National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies offer healthcare services to communities in areas, which are most difficult to reach, reducing inequality in the availability of healthcare services. 

How we help

Community health has been one of the focus areas of the Finnish Red Cross’s international aid work for many years. We bring added value especially on health of mothers and children and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The purpose of community health is to improve the health of the members of the community through health promotion and disease prevention as well as by addressing and dismantling social norms leading to health equity.

The aim of the activities is to also engage people outside of health centres, in their own community.

We tailor our support to the needs and context

Community health looks different in each country, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. We work closely with our local partners to assess the situation and understand the local operating environment. We tailor our support to meet the needs of each community.

We complement the local formal health system. Even difficult challenges can be tackled when volunteers of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, community healthcare workers, community leaders and families work together.

Read more about how prejudices towards coronavirus vaccinations were broken down in Kenya through cooperation.

Focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights

We work with local partners on a long-term basis, and they in turn are constantly in contact with their local communities. This makes it possible to address also sensitive topics.

We support projects that provide women and girls with access to important healthcare services, such as family planning, maternity and child health care, and safe childbirth and postnatal care.

The dismantling of harmful practices is a slow process, but it is important work. Key areas of our health projects include preventing female genital mutilation, child marriages and forced marriages and confronting sexual and gender-based violence.

Community participation

We strengthen community health systems. This includes both services implemented by volunteers at the community level and the local healthcare system.

Recognising the role of local volunteers as important providers of aid and building trust are at the core of our activities. Participation in health projects provides the members of the community with an opportunity to find their own solutions to their health challenges.

Holistic approach to health means that the members of the community are active participants in building healthier communities. Read about how Red Cross volunteers, as well as right nutrition and clean water, create healthier communities in Malawi.