This document is the first section of a manual for training village health workers. It contains an outline of topics to be covered in the manual, including the major body systems, common diseases, hygiene, first aid, and more. The goal is to educate volunteers to provide primary healthcare services. It notes that reading one section is not enough - all topics must be understood to appreciate the complex human body. Patients are advised to be referred to more experienced physicians if not improving after treatment based on this manual.

1. Preparing
Village Health Workers
Phase I
Manual Prepared by
the ant
Ward 10, BOC Gate
Bongaigaon - 783380 (Assam)
Ph: 03664-225506
email: theant1@rediffmail.com
www.theant.org

2. 1
Contents In This Manual
Section
TOPIC Page Numbers
Number
1. Introducing the Body Systems 1-1 to 1-2
2 Our Breathing System 2-1 to 2-7
Diseases of the Breathing System 2-8 to 2-25
3. Health & the Poor 3-1 to 3-2
4. Our Digestive System 4-1 to 4-10
Diseases of The Digestive System 4-12 to 4-31
5. Hygiene & Sanitation 5-1 to 5-5
6. Germs, Diseases & the Body 6-1 to 6-7
7. Know Your Medicines 7-1 to 7-4
8. Cost of Health Care 8-1 to 8-4
9. Fevers 9-1 to 9-13
10. Know the Government Health System 10-1 to 10-4
11. First Aid 11-1 to 11-8
* Please refer to your “My Medicine Box” handbox for details on drugs.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE
• This manual is meant for supporting the training of village volunteers to
provide primary health care that is ethical and sensible.
• It is the first of three stages of a larger health volunteers training
programme. The lessons in this manual are structured for easy teaching of the
health volunteers. The trainer’s manual gives additional instructions and training
methodology.
• Just reading one section of the manual is not sufficient to start treating
patients. Unless all the topics are read and understood, it would be difficult to
appreciate the complex nature of the human body.
• We have simplified the content in this manual for catering mostly to com-
mon illnesses. It is advised that patients MUST be referred to more experienced physi-
cians if they do not improve or if they get worse within 48 hours of starting treatment
based on this manual.

3. 1
Our Body
Systems

4. 1- 1
Parts Inside The Human Body
brain
spinal cord starts here
two lungs
take in oxygen air & food pipe
here is common
heart
pumps blood to all
parts of body food pipe
liver
purifies the blood; stomach
makes nutrients stores food for
digestion
two kidneys
filter the blood
spleen
removes old blood small intestine
digests and
absorbs food
two urine tubes
take urine from
kidney to bladder
large intestine
prepares waste
urine bladder food
stores urine for to make stools
some time.
Parts for Reproduction
In Addition to these In Addtion to these
organs, a woman has : organs, a man has:
• uterus • penis
• fallopian tubes • testes

5. 1- 2
breathing
system
blood
system
Systems Of digestive
system
The Body
that we will learn
nervous
more about system
urine system
reproductive
system

6. My Notes