Friends of the Global Fund Africa popularly referred to as Friends Africa, a new pan-African advocacy organisation, chose Kigali as the venue for the inauguration of its board and first board meeting to chart the way forward in the fight against HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, the three diseases it claimed have been dealing a great blow to African continent. In Kigali , Friends Africa brought together some of the most committed, credible and influential voices of Africa as an indication of African leaderships' determination to lead the fight against the three diseases.
Governance and participation in health
Aids, TB and malaria: Africa declares commitment
Ogbonnaya R: This Day (Lagos), 18 February 2007
Home-based management of fever in rural Uganda: community perceptions and provider opinions
Nsabagasani X, Sabiiti JN, Källander K, Peterson S, Pariyo G, Tomson G: Malaria Journal 6:11, 26 January 2007
Uganda was the first country to scale up Home Based Management of Fever/ Malaria (HBM) in 2002. Under HBM pre-packaged unit doses with a combination Sulphadoxine/Pyrimethamin (SP) and Chloroquine (CQ) called "HOMAPAK" are administered to all febrile children by community selected voluntary drug distributors (DDs). In this study, community perceptions, health worker and drug provider opinions about the community based distribution of HOMAPAK and its effect on the use of other antimalarials were assessed.
Local Primary Health Care Committees and community-based health care workers in Mkuranga District, Tanzania: Does the public recognise and appreciate them?
Mubyazi GM, Mushi AK, Shayo E, et al: Ethno Medicine 8
A study was conducted to explore the views of villagers on the existence and functioning of local primary health-care (PHC) committees, village health workers (VHWs), skilled staff at government health facilities and their responsiveness to community health needs in Mkuranga district, Tanzania. Information was collected through separate group discussions with some members of households, local PHC committees and district health managers and semistructured interviews with individual household members, clinical and nursing staff at peripheral government facilities, and indepth interviews with officers in central and local government departments at district level. See the full report.
Hitting malaria where it hurts: Household and community responses in Africa
id21 9, August 2006
Preventing and treating malaria are now firmly on the international public health and global poverty agendas. However, despite a considerable increase in funds over recent years the malaria burden in much of sub-Saharan Africa shows little sign of decreasing. This report outlines issues on managing malaria in communities, and explores social roles. It notes that research has been largely concerned either with individual perceptions about the causes and symptoms of the disease or with the implementation of specific interventions. It fails to provide essential information on the context in which communities and households cope with their day-to-day problems, including malaria.
HIV positive men as responsible citizens and patients
id21 Insights 64, November 2006
South Africa's national anti-retroviral therapy programme and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) have been at the forefront in fighting HIV/AIDS. Rolling out anti-retrovirals nationally and ensuring treatment adherence is far from easy, however. HIV positive people can help themselves and others by being responsible citizens.
Civil Society campaign against gender violence
Longwe SH: E-Civicus, 20 November 2006
The International Day of No Violence Against Women Campaign does not only concern those sections of civil society dealing feminist issues. Not true. Instead the campaign illustrates the need for all sections of civil society to unite around fundamental issues of human rights, democracy and good governance.
Civil society misled on uranium mining in Malawi
Chimwaga J: Nation Online, 21 November 2006
Civil society organisations accused government Monday of misleading President Bingu wa Mutharika and the nation in its dealings on a prospective multi-billion kwacha uranium mining project at Kayelekera in Karonga for the impact it will will have on people’s lives. Civil society questions the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for its lack of independence, participation, inclusiveness, cultural sensitivity and equity.
In the public interest: Health, education, and water and sanitation for all
Oxfam International, 1 September 2006
This report shows that developing countries will only achieve healthy and educated populations if their governments take responsibility for providing essential services. Civil society organisations and private companies can make important contributions, but they must be properly regulated and integrated into strong public systems, and not seen as substitutes for them. Only governments can reach the scale necessary to provide universal access to services that are free or heavily subsidised for poor people and geared to the needs of all citizens – including women and girls, minorities, and the very poorest. But while some governments have made great strides, too many lack the cash, the capacity, or the commitment to act.
Proposal on southern African social movements and civil society participation in the Nairobi 2007 World Social Forum
Southern Africa Social Forum, 14 October 2007
Civil society strengthening and movement building is not only an important element of democracy and democratisation; it is also a guarantee of the depth and effectiveness of democracy in our societies. One of the most high-profiled movements of this kind has been the World Social Forum (WSF). In 2007 the WSF will be hosted in Africa (Nairobi) for the first time in its history. This event gives African civil society organisations and social movements an opportunity to take stock of the process of solidarity and movement building on the continent and in its various regions. The Nairobi WSF also provides African civil society with the opportunity to exchange ideas on new ways of building solidarity and of strengthening civil society in Africa.
Civil Society and Social Issues in Health: Community in Action for Health
Berry S: Geneva Health Forum, 31 August 2006
The traditional top-down approach to development is widely criticised as being inappropriate to meet the needs of local populations, especially the very poor. In order to improve this situation, some development organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) favour approaches that integrate local communities in policy formation and implementation. Health, an important aspect of development, necessitates active involvement of the local population. The community remains the key actor in improving its own health standards and communicating its requirements to governments.