Health Promotion through the Usage of Local Resources and Values or Norms in Hadiya Zone of Southern Ethiopia: The Case of Bobicho Kebele in Lemmo Woreda
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Date
2013-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study aimed at discussing on the environmental health behavioral changes that are
prevalent among Hadiya of southern Ethiopia. Specifically it is concerned on exposing the
prevailing environmental health practices, the outcomes that appeared with the improvements,
examining the attributes of the success and discussing on the condition of sustainability of
practices. To this end, ethnographic method of data collection technique such as unstructured
interview of key informants, focus group discussion and observations were employed. By using the aforementioned method, it is found that there are visible shift of behaviors of environmental
practices which is manifested in people engagement of the practice by ceasing there old ways. For example, people began to use latrine as opposed to their old tradition of using open
defecations. The shift of environmental practices have brought observable improvements in the
health of the people that include reduction of communicable diseases, woman work load at house
hold and having aesthetically valued environment. It is also found that there are intertwined
factors behind the changes of the environmental health practices. Culture sensitive health
intervention by which people sensitized through self disgusting mechanisms help the community
to develop negative attitude toward waste environmental conditions; and have new conception of
it. Active community participation that are recurring and conducted by the local language
enabled people to involve in health issues and usage of community social structures such as local institutions, social work groups, and community based health workers play important role in terms of teaching and spreading of health messages and performing laborious activities that are rarely achieved by health professionals in local setting of Ethiopia. The prevailing environmental health practices are tending to sustain because the practices are integrated with in the community
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Social Anthropology