Busy Ivory Coast Clinic

Dr. Bernie Bledsoe (Abengourou, Ivory Coast) shared an update recently on the CMF team’s work with HIV/AIDS patients in their clinic and the Community Health Evangelism (CHE) work through the Abengourou churches.

The CHE program is implemented through five churches in Abengourou, with a focus on HIV prevention using abstinence and faithfulness. Since March, more than 600 young people have been organized into Abstinence Clubs and 200 couples have followed faithfulness lessons in the churches. In May, all five churches held community awareness meetings in their neighborhoods,  emphasizing HIV prevention through abstinence and sexual purity. The classes included a film that explained the AIDS problem and then presented the benefits of abstinence. On Sundays following the meetings, HIV screenings were offered at the church. Approximately 1,200 young people attended the film screenings and 450 of them were tested for HIV/AIDS.

At the clinic, the staff has seen 968 HIV patients, including 84 children, as of the end of May 2009. There are currently 368 patients, including 33 children, receiving ARV’s through the clinic. Most of these patients also attend support groups for people living with AIDS.

The Community Health Evangelists trained by the CMF team have taken on the responsibility of making home visits to the sick. They have received additional training in microenterprise development and are organizing themselves into small groups, writing business plans and submitting them to the committee for loan approval.

A visit from a FAME medical team from an Indianapolis area church was the icing on the cake of a busy month, concluded Dr. Bledsoe. “The group of folks were great and a huge blessing to us and the team.”