Despite acknowledged curative and preventive measures, child malaria remains a concern in many countries. Does parental empowerment and participation in control efforts offer a way forward? This review of recent literature suggests a unique approach. Successful interventions met the health promotion strategies wholly or partly. Although these interventions were sometimes incomplete, the development took into account people’s perceptions and representations. The authors acted on the belief that empowerment of parents and their participation in the development of interventions to control child malaria, is likely to yield better results and assist in reducing the prevalence of malaria morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years.
Governance and participation in health
Malaria control among children under five in sub-Saharan Africa: the role of empowerment and parents' participation besides the clinical strategies
Houeto D, D'Hoore W, Ouendo E, Charlier D, Deccache A: Rural and Remote Health, 31 October 2007
THE EXPERIENCE OFA VILLAGE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME IN YUMBE DISTRICT,UGANDA
Innocent K: Health Policy and Development 5(1): 21-27, 2007
Community participation in health has been an elusive concept since the days of the Alma Ata Declaration. Many faltering steps have been taken towards genuine community participation only to be retraced because the programmes were either ill-conceived or derailed by the loss of the spirit of voluntarism. In Yumbe District of north-western Uganda, Village Health Teams (VHT) have been established in line with the national strategy for community involvement in health. The Yumbe VHT programme has won an award for innovative support to strengthening decentralisation. This paper reviews aspects of the programme outlining its successes and challenges. Its success has been mainly due to integration of pre-existing volunteer cadres, intersectoral approach to the monitoring of the teams and involvement of the community in the selection of the top-up team members. Its challenges include the relatively young age of the majority of the volunteers and the likely loss of financial support for the activities of the volunteers. The paper concludes that the VHT programme is a delicate venture requiring both programme support through intersectoral inputs to the Community Action Plans developed by communities and sociological approaches to educate the communities to support the VHT for its sustainability.
Reclaiming SADC for peoples solidarity and development: Let the people speak
Southern African People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN), 16 August 2007
Members of Civil Society Organisations, trade unions, faith based organizations, student bodies and economic justice networks from the SADC region met in Lusaka, Zambia on August 15-16, under the auspices of the Southern Africa Peoples' Solidarity Network (SAPSN), to constitute the SADC People's Summit held parallel to the 27th Heads of State Summit. This document serves as the statement given on their regional theme with respect to civil society.
The role of communication in sustainable development
The Drum Beat: The Communication Initiative, (410), 3 September 2007
This Drum Beat is one of a series of commentary and analysis pieces. Getting communication included is an integral element in development programmes, for example improving maternal health. Addressing this challenge needs actions at many levels, all of which entail particular types of communication.
Tradition a force against HIV/AIDS?
Integrated Regional Information Network, 14 September 2007
Circumstance, rather than planning, has placed the battle against HIV/AIDS firmly in the hands of Swaziland's 355 chiefdoms. The decentralisation strategy has evolved from government's failure to command the fight against the disease, or even deliver healthcare at its urban hospitals, and much less so in rural areas, where four out of five Swazis live. Swaziland, ruled by sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch, King Mswati III, has a well-established traditional hierarchy, and the use of it to coordinate efforts against HIV/AIDS is being seen as a grassroots-driven solution.
HIV/AIDS and democratic governance in Africa: Illustrating the impact on electoral processes
Chirambo K, IDASA, 22 May 2007
The research presented in this paper responds to years of academic speculation and subsequent policy concerns about the possible collapse of Africa’s democratic project under the complex waves of impacts introduced by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It is the result of three years of exploratory studies in seven countries: Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa, Senegal and Zambia. Anecdotes of Lesotho and Zimbabwe have also been highlighted.
Tackling, developing and sustaining stewardship and health system management for health equity
Gilson L: Commission on the Social Determinants of Health (CSDH), June 2007
This paper argues that stronger and values-based public sector management and leadership is essential in building health systems that better address health inequities. By considering evidence on existing weaknesses in health system action to redress inequity, it identifies a complex and inter-locking set of problems involving individuals, organisational culture and the ways in which wider political, economic and socio-cultural forces influence public sector organisations. It then examines the particular features of organisational culture in organisations judged to be better performing, and considers how change in organisational culture can be brought about. It also identifies the particular competencies of public sector managers and reviews evidence on how these competencies can be developed.
Reducing social inequalities in health: Public health, community health or health promotion?
Ridde V: 63-67
While the Consortium on ’Community Health Promotion’ is suggesting a definition of this new concept to qualify health practices, this article questions the relevance of introducing such a concept since no one has yet succeeded in really differentiating the three existing processes: public health, community health, and health promotion. Based on a literature review and an analysis of the range of practices, these three concepts can be distinguished in terms of their processes and their goals. Public health and community health share a common objective, to improve the health of the population. In order to achieve this objective, public health uses a technocratic process whereas community health uses a participatory one. Health promotion, on the other hand, aims to reduce social inequalities in health through an empowerment process, which is argued to be more effective.
The benefits of participatory methodologies to develop effective community dialogue in the context of a microbicide trial feasibility study in Mwanza, Tanzania
Vallely A, Shagi C, Kasindi S, Desmond N, Lees S, Chiduo B, Hayes R, Allen C, Ross D: BMC Public Health 7:133, 2 July 2007
During a microbicide trial feasibility study among women at high-risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections in Mwanza, northern Tanzania the researchers used participatory research tools to facilitate open dialogue and partnership between researchers and study participants. Participatory techniques were instrumental in promoting meaningful dialogue between the research team, study participants and community representatives in Mwanza, allowing researchers and community representatives to gain a shared understanding of project-related priority areas for intervention.
Understanding the Impact of Decentralisation on Reproductive Health Services in Africa (RHD) - South Africa
Hall W: Health System Trust, November 2006
The provision of appropriate reproductive health care remains one of the main health care challenges in developing countries. The delivery of reproductive health services is continually confronted by challenges from the changing environment, as health sector reforms are implemented, and particularly by decentralisation.