Harrington, Humpress, and MacLaren, David (2011) Community health service delivery and research at a remote Solomon Islands hospital. In: Annals of the ACTM (12) p. 53. From: ACTM / QTHA Annual Conference, 14 - 17 July 2011, Cairns, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

Atoifi Adventist Hospital and Atoifi College of Nursing are located on the remote Eastern coast of Malaita, Solomon Islands. The hospital primarily serves the mainly subsistence villagers in surrounding communities. The College of Nursing is one of two in the country and the only one in a remote provincial location. There are many community health issues including malaria, pneumonia, fungal infections, tuberculosis, child and maternal mortality, intestinal parasites and sexually transmitted infections. There is much capacity and willingness to improve service delivery and public health research at Atoifi. However, constraints such as limited financial resources, training opportunities, support to conduct research, transport (no roads) and physical infrastructure (including limited electricity and communication) are restricting health professionals from working to their potential on these important areas. Humpress Harrington, Principal of Atoifi College of Nursing and hospital administrator, will report upon health service conditions as they impact the service delivery and education of health professionals at Atoifi Hospital. Harrington will discuss health challenges and how they are being addressed in communities near the hospital. In particular, he will discuss recent public health research capacity building efforts which are enabling hospital and college staff to systematically gather evidence in partnership with surrounding communities to address health issues in the area. This will be exemplified by outlining how, for the first time, a soil transmitted helminth survey was conducted in a nearby village and how results are informing community health interventions including village-wide treatment, education and plans for improvement of sanitation infrastructure. Humpress Harrington will discuss Atoifi Hospital's plans to further develop health service delivery and research in this challenging tropical and resource-poor environment.

Item ID:	21062
Item Type:	Conference Item (Abstract / Summary)
ISSN:	1448-4706
Keywords:	community health, service delivery, research, Soloman Islands, hospital, Atoifi
Additional Information:	Annals of the ACTM: an international journal of tropical & travel medicine, Volume 12, Issue 2.
Date Deposited:	04 Apr 2012 01:00
FoR Codes:	11 MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES > 1117 Public Health and Health Services > 111799 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes:	92 HEALTH > 9204 Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health) > 920499 Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health) not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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