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NEPAD health strategy - Initial programme of action
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5. EMPOWERMENT OF PEOPLE TO IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH
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Create a public communications for health literacy programme, using available capacity to cost-effectively empower people to take action to improve their health
Many people in Africa do not have the basic knowledge and skills to enhance and protect their or their family's health - they lack health literacy. Millions of deaths a year on the continent can be linked to this. At the same time Africa has extensive public broadcasting capacity. There is therefore potential for relatively modest funding to leverage the potential for programming and broadcasting at low cost. However, there is limited expertise on the continent in the production of the kind of programmes that work, and what expertise there is, often functions in isolation.
The aim of this programme is to build functional capacity in each of the regions of Africa to develop effective public communications for health literacy programmes, combining the skills of health departments, the media and non-governmental organisations in pursuit of empowered people. It will also develop locally credible materials and adapt them to that countries situation, grow expertise and support the establishment of a pan-African network of those involved in public broadcasting for health.
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Create a programme to enable countries to more effectively support and enable non-governmental and community organisations to make their unique contribution to prevention and care
Africa has a long history of non-governmental and community organisation contributions to health on the continent. However, such organisations are not widely enough established or distributed across the continent to achieve the enormous potential they have to enhance health and health care, while many struggle to survive. There is a need for many governments' to strengthen their stewardship role and for non-governmental and community organisations to build their capacity and to expand into underserved communities. This needs to be done in a way that does not stifle their independence, energy or innovation.
This programme seeks to strengthen governments' ability to provide an enabling and supportive environment for the emergence and strengthening of non-governmental and community organisations, to build capacity in NGOs and to harmonise efforts as part of an integrated health system. In essence, it seeks to build partnerships between government and civil society in pursuit of better health for all. The capacity building will include training in both the content area of the work, as well as the basic skills in managing and developing NGOs, including the critical area of financial management and performance evaluation. (The latter are essential to achieving continued funding.) This programme is not seen as a direct long-term funder of NGOs. However, it would include some bridging funding so that excellent NGOs and CBOs do not collapse before the partnership benefits are in place, and seed funding to assist critically needed grassroots organisations to emerge.
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