YOHAN and FAMSA-SCOHE MEDICAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMEMORATING THE 2022 WORLD HEPATITIS DAY

How it started:

Is it free?!"

This question from passers-by (residents and possible beneficiaries of outreach programs) has become cliche to most community outreach volunteers like myself. Some are asked out of subtle curiosity and others wear the imposing tone of an accusation as though to suggest an ulterior motive to manipulate and extort. But many Nigerians would agree with me that there is a common feeling of insecurity behind the tone of that question.

In the medical community outreach commemorating the 2022 world hepatitis day, I had not encountered more probing residents than the worshippers at St Mary's Catholic Church, Enugu. Many had already concluded we were out to make money before learning the outreach was free and some thought more than twice before giving in to the reminder that "prevention is better than cure."

I understood the residents' concern about maintaining and improving their health got them asking. Still, the question(s) had to be exaggerated because they were cautious of their pockets, and some generally avoidant of the high cost of quality living assumed to be only deserving of the elite group. But this worry, or sometimes complete apathy, defeats the purpose of the community outreach.