19.3  Equipping your community

Figure 19.4  All community activities are founded on good relationships with individuals. (Photo: FMOH/WT)

The greatest improvement in people’s health will be as a result of what they do to and for themselves. It is not the result of external interventions. Millions of daily decisions about health and disease are made by individuals and families at their own homes, not by health workers. So in order to make these millions of decisions become healthy decisions, you should equip your community with appropriate skills and knowledge, and empower them through community participation. The greatest resources you have in your community are good relationships with individuals (Figure 19.4) and groups; therefore, you should mobilise them to pool the resources available in the community, including labour power.