IOM Supported NGO commits to Paying Community Health Workers in Gbarpolu

Gbarpolu County – The Executive Director of Youth in Action for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS Inc., Harrison M. Cokie has clarified that its donor, International Organization for Migration (IOM) was not responsible for the delays in paying Community Health Workers salary arrears.

Cokie said the service contract between IOM and YAPA requires that reports including stipend documents are verified and approved before payment can be done through its bank account by IOM.

“So for this period, reports were delayed due to the heavy down pour of rain and by the time the report  went in, we been busy in the county not knowing that our account were credited,” he said.

YAPA Director also said CHWs in Belleh District will be paid for two months beginning Wednesday, September 14, 2016 which was delayed due to the bad road condition. He added that community health workers will also be supply with rain gears including rain boats, coats,  and other working tools donated by IOM.

Early this month, 52 community health workers based in Belle Health District implementing an IOM supported Community Event Based Surveillance (CEBS) project claimed they were not paid incentives for four months.

Each community health workers are paid US$30.00 per month by YAPA  and monitored by IOM and the County Health Team.

The Community Health Volunteers were trained in March this year and have worked without their regular compensation, according to Harris Tanjoe, CHC member of Camp Barte, in Belle District.

Tanjoe said they were trained to identify signs and symptoms of certain priority sicknesses like cholera, bloody diarrhea and maternal heath, but were disappointed over the delay in getting their incentive.

Currently, there are 419 Community Health Workers trained and are working in their respective communities across the five health districts in Gbarpolu County.

Report By: Henry Gboluma,Jr.