Hana Geadah

Hana grew up between Washington, D.C. and Beirut and moved to Montreal to complete an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree in Cognitive Science and African Studies from McGill University. Hana has long been interested in the efficacy of health care and is dedicated to the realization of anti-oppressive policy at community and structural levels. She is particularly interested in how successful community systems can improve wellbeing and health outcomes. Hana plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Health in order to further her understanding of effective health care policies to support social change.

Hana worked with Partners In Health Liberia to analyze the impact of the household model in Liberia on the communities’ well-being, health and sense of social connectedness.

Community Engagement Initiative

Hana co-organized a zoom session with 50 community health workers (CHWs) in Maryland, Liberia to go over the surveys they completed and discuss what resources the CHWs need to support their work and sense of connectedness. Read the report: Household Model Visioning.

Report

The Household Model as a Tool for Change

As global demands for universal health care are reiterated with few concrete actions, community health programs remain a hopeful solution. The aim of this paper is to understand what components are important in building successful and sustainable community health programs. Specifically, this report examines the benefits of the household model, primary care, and social connectedness in health outcomes. The paper describes three case studies to highlight specific and tangible actions that community health programs may take. These are the Brazil Family Health Strategy Program, the Partners In Health Liberia household model, and a Bangladesh community volunteer program. Supportive government policies that advocate for accessible and universal health coverage are fundamental, and financial support for both community health workers and their patients are important in ensuring lasting success.

Keywords

Universal health care, community health programs, primary care, Partners In Health, household model, social connectedness, sustainable health models