By Hari Subedi
Nepalgunj, January 26

Four day Participatory Programme Planning Workshop in Nepalgunj has made a logical framework of Community Eye Care and Health Promotion (CEHP) programme for 3 years (2008-10 AD). The programme supports to improve health status of vulnerable and disadvantaged people of mid western region focusing on eye care, water-sanitation, and HIV/AIDS. More than 626,325 community people, 132,600 students of 1,089 schools and the nearby community people will be benefited through preventative and curative services, education and capacity building during 3 years project period.

“Swiss Red Cross has been helping for a long time to deliver services by reaching to vulnerable people through NRCS development projects,” said Dev Ratna Dhakwa, Secretary General of the NRCS, in the Program Planning Workshop of CEHP from 19-22 January.
Monika Cristofori-Khadka appreciated CEHP project's role to serve the vulnerable people in the mid western region. She requested NRCS to replicate CEHP's learning to programme extended districts of other regions also.

NRCS CEHP conducted a Planning Workshop in Nepalgunj with the participation of representatives from the programme districts (Banke, Bardia, Surkhet, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Pyuthan, Salyan, Rukum, Rolpa and Jumla) CEHP, NRCS headquarters and Swiss Red Cross. The CEHP (earlier PBL-CHIP) project has been running in the financial and technical support of the Swiss Red Cross since 2001.

"Due to the CEHP project, vulnerable people of the mid west region are getting eye care service, awareness on water and sanitation, and HIV/AIDS.” said Lalit Jung Shahi, Chairman of the Central Health Service Committee as well as convener of CEHP Steering Committee.

Most of the participants appreciated participatory planning procedure in the closing ceremony. They also committed to provide services to the vulnerable people by following programme concept through cooperation and coordination. Dr. Ram Krishna Neupane, an international freelancer consultant, had facilitated the workshop.