BE Stories

June 13, 2015 In Thailand

TB Awareness raising at Victory Monument in Bangkok 12 June 2015

Based in Bangkok, AON Company (Thailand) attended its first health promotion event about TB and tobacco, together with Siam Kempinski Hotel. Organised by BE Health on 12 June at Victory Monument in Bangkok, 25 staff members from Siam Kempinski Hotel and about the same number of staff members from AON were trained by BE Health’s PHEs and enthusiastically participated in the event. Supported by the National TB Programme (NTP) and Thammasat University, this TB and anti-tobacco event aimed to check lungs through a spirometer and/or X-ray examinations and was labelled as an innovative health promotion model by the NTP. Approximately 400 citizens attended the event, of whom 104 were screened for TB and seven of whom were TB suspected.

April 24, 2015 In Djibouti

Djibouti programme Up to Full Speed

With an estimation of more than 200 new tuberculosis cases every week, Djibouti’s citizens are almost used to living with the disease. Tuberculosis is part of their daily life and even called dahán (cough) amongst the Somali-speaking citizens. Most of the time, Djiboutians do not know what it implies to be infected by tuberculosis nor are they aware of its symptoms or the consequences of not completing a TB treatment course.
BE Health’s 22 peer educators in Djibouti reach out to colleagues at their workplace, family at home and their fellow community members to raise awareness about tuberculosis and HIV. Together, they connect with more than 300 people each month to pass on their knowledge and save TB patients who didn’t complete their six-month TB treatment course.
In collaboration with Djibouti’s Dr. Chakib Saad Omar tuberculosis hospital, BE Health’s peer educators will be instrumental in a locally designed programme to encourage patients to resume their medication.

Photo by Miriam Martinelli

Certification-event-Youth-Health-Volunteers

April 4, 2015 In Thailand

Letter of Intent Signed with Healthcare Centre 41 from 70 Rai, Klong Toey

On 3 April 2015, BE Health signed a letter of intent with Healthcare Centre 41 to promote and foster health prevention and care in regards to tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, including the strengthening of the public health sector in Chumchon Mooban Pattana 70 Rai. BE Health also signed a letter of intent with Choomchon Mooban Pattana School to promote and foster health prevention through peer-to-peer education. BE Health trained 19 school students between 13 and 15 years old to become Youth Health Volunteers in their school and amongst their families and were certified the same day.

March 26, 2015 In Thailand

World TB Day at 70 Rai, Klong Toey (23 March 2015)

BE Health organised World TB Day at 70 Rai, Klong Toey and partnered with the medical staff of Healthcare Centre 41 and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), who came to the event with a mobile chest X-Ray van. The event was mainly focused on TB screenings and raising awareness through discussions, games and recreation. More than 250 residents took part in the event and 144 were screened with an X-Ray. As a result, eight TB cases were identified in one morning.

February 13, 2015 In Thailand

Sumalee Amarinsangpen

With profound expertise in tuberculosis and HIV disease control, Khun Sumalee, a practised nurse and civil servant for more than 30 years, joined BE Health in 2012 as a skilful programme coordinator. Khun Sumalee ensured peer educators’ empowerment and coordinates their prevention activities in Klong Toey as well as at their workplace. Building long-term collaborations between governmental organisations such as Thailand’s National TB programme, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration or Thailand’s Department of Disease Control and BE Health was also part of Khun Sumalee’s goals for BE Health. Working together and joining all possible efforts to contribute to reducing the incidence of tuberculosis and HIV in Bangkok’s poorest areas has become a reality thanks to Khun Sumalee and her team. Having collaborated more of five years with BE Health, Khun Sumalee enjoys since July 2018 a well deserved retirement while remaining available to lend assistance and provide advice whenever needed by our team members.