The Local Government in Dagana committed to save and invest a part of their budget for awareness initiatives on healthy lifestyle and disease prevention at the grassroots level. This move comes after the health ministry’s program with the local leaders on behaviour change communication to enhance priority public health and social issues. Behaviour change communication, as an interactive process, looks at obtaining healthy behaviour at the individual, community and national levels.
To this day, the gewog administrations have been mobilising their funds mainly towards infrastructural development in the community. But from now on, the local leaders of Dagana take the ownership of promoting health-related sensitisation programmes as well.
“Every gup is positive about the program and they committed to allocate funds to sensitize their people on health issues. Such programmes do not require a huge amount. So in consultation with the people, we can manage its funds from our budget,” Lham Dorji, the DT Chairperson, said.
They said the awareness activities will be accorded with an equal priority as the developmental activities since it will foster the country’s guiding philosophy of Gross National Happiness.
“Among the 20 districts, Dagana has the highest poverty rate. Similarly, in alcohol consumption, our dzongkhag is among the top. So after learning how to involve the public in combating this problem, we will try and reduce it and be at par with other districts maybe in five year’s time,” Karmaling Gup Gyan Bahadhur Subbha said.
“Besides the lessons on health-related issues, we understood how we will be able to benefit the country, district and villages by putting to practise what we learned. We understood how our behaviours need to change with time,” Lekzom, Gesarling Chiwog Tshogpa, said.
“First we have to sensitise our people on social affairs such as marital issues and then it is alcohol. We have to study those people addicted to drinking alcohol. We must be polite in counselling them to quit the habit and at times, of course, a little harsh. We should make them aware of drinking, its causes and ill-effects, relevant laws and the current scenario of alcohol addiction,” Dawa Penjore, Tsanglegkha Chiwog Tshogpa, said.
The health ministry officials said it is an indication of positive outcomes when local leaders are forthcoming in solving the problems common to their communities.
“They know the real field in the community and what is their need. We just have to facilitate, I am sure we would see some improved indicators within four-five years. And we are also keeping in touch with the gewog leaders now through social media about how the things are going on. I see that kind of commitment from them with this workshop because they are involved in the planning process; we respected their opinion and based on that we also modified whatever the remedies required to be done,” Sonam Wangchuk, the Sr. Program Officer of Dept. of Public Health, said.
The health ministry plans to replicate the programme in all the districts. So far it has covered five dzongkhags including Dagana.
