Health Systems Advocacy. Quarterly Report April June 2016

Transcription

1 Health Systems Advocacy Quarterly Report April June 2016 Introduction Everyone has a fundamental right to the highest attainable standard of health; defined as physical, mental and social well-being, this is inclusive of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR). In the second quarter of implementation the intervention has carried out inception meeting both at the National and County level. During this period the project was able to recruit as well as identify key areas that are crucial for the engagement of the baseline survey. The project further contributed to key critical bills on aspects of HRH and SRH that include the Reproductive Healthcare bill 2014 and the Health Bill Below find the detailed progress activities carried out during the second quarter. Organization Name: Kenya Amref Health Africa in Project Manager: Dorcus Indalo Reporting Period : April-June 2016 Planning Period: July- December Programme process (1. Please use provided table to explain your work in the past three months; 2. Please report against the goals that are relevant to your organisation, not all goals are relevant to each partner/organisation using this template; 3. Increase the rows and columns of the table below depending on the number of activities you like to mention). Short term outcomes Brief description of the activity Key results/ Achievements Remarks/ Comments Dynamic partnership created and operational Held Country Management Committee meetings with partners ACHEST,HAI, HENNET and MACs During the quarter, the project team held regular meetings with HSA Kenya Alliance Members to discuss project implementation activities and status The team conducted a stakeholder mapping and identified different stakeholders in HRH and SRH Commodities. These were categorized as: - International partners - Key government players (MOH) such as the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) - Service providers in the Private Sector, Profit and Not for Profit - Pharmaceutical industry - Civil Societies and Other NGOs - Health Workers Unions (Doctors Union, Nurses Union and Clinical Officers Union) - Training Institutions such as Kenya Medical Training Colleges (KMTC) 1 P a g e

2 Availability of different types of HSS knowledge in accessible formats for different audiences Held meetings with representatives from other Amref projects to draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with County Governments The team draft a Terms of Reference (TOR) for engaging an external consultant who will lead in the baseline survey TORs for the respective committees (country management committee and National Advisory Group) were finalized and circulated to all alliance members. Advocacy Capacity Assessment tool for CSOs was drafted and compared with the ACT tool from the PME group The team met with ACHEST and HAI to discuss the support required for effective coordination of ACHEST and HAI activities within the Alliance- these will require sharing offices and regular updates on HSA activities The HSA project team together with representatives from other Amref Health Africa projects working in the implementation counties in Kenya, mainly: Kajiado, Narok, Siaya and Homabay, held meetings to draft the MOUs for engagement with respective Counties Once approved, the project will organize to have the MOUs signed by Amref Health Africa in Kenya and the County Governments Follow up communications has been made with Amref Health Africa Country Director The MOUs have been forwarded to the Amref legal officer, Program Managers and the Country Directors internally for review and approval. They will also be reviewed by the County legal officers. Held meetings with HSA partners to develop draft IEC Materials During the period, the HSA members initiated the development of draft IEC materials that will be used for communication on HRH and SRH commodities and rights. The messages were classified per the audience target. Once the baseline has been conducted and the specific gaps in HRH and SRH commodities identified, the project will finalize the IEC materials. The CSOs and the Communities in the four counties will be consulted. The project will also test samples of the messages to avoid cultural conflict and identify appropriate communication channels. Amref has started making infographics on SRH Rights in order to sensitize the community on their rights to sexual reproductive health Amref is in the process of making a video on SRH Rights that is in the pre-production phase, that aims to create awareness and sensitize the communities on their rights to reproductive health services Active involvement of all HSAP Attended the Maternal, Newborn, Child Health The HSA partners, Amref, HAI, HENNET and MACs attended a meeting on the RMNCH bill that was organized by PATH. The meeting provided a platform The HSA members together with other CSOs will follow up 2 P a g e

3 stakeholders in settings the agenda for the issue and its knowledge needs Champions meeting various CSOs with Participated in a stakeholder s forum on development standards on the Right to Health for various discussions on progress of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Bill (MNCH bill) as well as advocacy strategy to push the bill from the Ministry of Health to Parliament. In the period under review, Amref attended a stakeholder s forums on development of standards on the right to health. The meeting was organized by the National Gender and Equality Commission. Members reviewed a draft report on standards on the realization of the right to health in Kenya and various amendments were proposed. with the ministry to advocate and lobby for the members of parliament to approve the bill. Attended a stakeholders meetings held by MACS Mobilization for Civil society Organization(MAC S) The meeting brought together various stakeholders in RMNCAH (mainly CSOs working at the county and national level) so as to re-energize coordination of efforts around advocacy for accountability for RMNCAH in Kenya. MACS Evaluation findings were shared, as well as updates on global and country advocacy processes- Global Financing Facility (GFF). The HSA project was introduced to all CSOs and areas in advocacy on HRH and SRH Commodities discussed. The appropriate advocacy strategies were discussed. Creating an enabling environment Held Inception meetings in Narok, Homabay, Siaya and Kajiado Counties with County Officials: Governors, Members of County Assembly, Health Officials, CSOs, legal officers, Speakers of the county assembly, Training institutions such as KMTC, the courts as well as other stakeholders. Attended a Dialogue and Dissent (D & D) During the month, the project team held inception meetings with key government officials in Narok, Homabay, Siaya and Kajiado Counties. The aim was to introduce the project and build rapport with the county government as well as other key stakeholders in the Counties. Some of the key discussions were: - There is need to introduce a Technical Working Group (TWG) on SRH so as to collectively review the progress in each county - There is need to build the capacity of the County Health Management team (CHMT) on budget advocacy - There is need to work with other organizations at the county who are conducting advocacy on HRH and SRH Commodities to ensure synergies One representative attended the Dialogue and Dissent meeting that was organized by the Netherlands Embassy. The meeting brought together 42 participants Through a comprehensive stakeholder mapping, the project will identify key persons from the county government and other stakeholders, who will be mentored to champion advocacy issues on HRH and SRH commodities. The project will continue working with the Embassy in 3 P a g e

4 for knowledge use, bringing in all needed resources to enable change meeting organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Kenya representing strategic partners working in Kenya and Somalia as well as Embassy staff. The Head of Development Cooperation Marielle Geraedts noted that the inception phase of the Dialogue and Dissent (D&D) program was a unique opportunity to hold such meetings, where partners can share plans, strategize on challenges and most importantly find areas for synergy or collaboration with the Embassy and with other strategic partners. Participants were encouraged to utilize the opportunity to reflect on what the D&D strategic partnership can truly achieve. Naisola Likimani and Jos Lubbers presented on background and aspirations of the D&D partnership, also sharing some lessons learned for effective partnering, based on other strategic partnerships the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had undertaken. its work. Overall it was agreed that there needs to be some planning on the 2017 elections, which was a common risk to all the partnerships. The Embassy will share its election analysis with the partners. Other Embassy staff from Water, Food Security and Agriculture, Security and Rule of Law as well as Economic Affairs, also presented the Embassy s priorities, activities and partners in their respective thematic areas, in line with the current Embassy Multiannual strategic plan -MASP ( ). Lobby and Advocacy in HRH and SRH Conducted Lobby and Advocacy to Members of parliament at national level on the two thirds gender rule. In Kenya, the constitution espouses the rights of women as being equal in law to men, and entitled to enjoy equal opportunities in the political, social and economic spheres. The bill focused on putting to end the two thirds gender debate and provides a solution in the event women are elected in parliament. Based on the Two thirds gender rule bill, the project and MACs Alliance managed to contact 72 legislators for lobby and advocacy. In as much as the bill was not passed in parliament, the project will continue working with the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association and CSOs to push for gender equity and inclusivity. The bill sought to empower the government to take legislative measures to realize the twothirds principle and also secure gender equity in government. Advocated for the inclusion of specific HRH and SRH issues in the Health Bill 2015 through a Multistakeholder platform of 31 CSOs at the National Level The Health Bill 2015 is an act of Parliament to establish a unified health System, to coordinate the interrelationship between the national government and county government health systems, to provide for regulation of health care service and health care service providers, health products and health technologies and for connected purposes. In relation to the two thematic areas: HRH and SRH commodities, the project worked with the Amref HQ and provided recommendations that were presented to the Clerk of the Senate in Kenya and consequently during a public hearing on the health bill. The inputs to the bill included: - Adoption of international definitions on Standard of Health, the need to include non-state actors in As a follow up the Project has been monitoring the Health Bill and will participate in subsequent meetings with other CSOs for further inputs. 4 P a g e

5 establishment of a HRH Council and inclusion of international definitions to cover comprehensive reproductive health care services. Participated in the public hearing on Health Bill Based on Article 118 of the Kenyan Constitution, the Senate through its Clerk announced of the public hearing that was held at Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) in June The public was invited to participate and air out their views/issues to the National Health Committee in the Senate on the Health Bill. Various stakeholders were present that included: CSOs, Health workers, Health Worker unions- Kenya Medical Practioners and Dentist Union Board (KMPDU), Nurses Unions, Clinical Officers Unions,-Kenya Medical Associations (KMA), Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), the private sector actors as well as actors Profit Organizations on Commodities. As a result, the project team participated in the public hearing and presented forth the issues/inputs as had been identified in collaboration with Amref HQ and also as part of a large Matrix led by KELIN, through a network of CSOs working on SRHR and HRH. Link to the Health Bill 1 Attended post public participation meeting on the Health Bill and the Reproductive HealthCare Bill organized by KELIN After participating in the public hearing of the Health Bill, the HSA participated in a meeting with CSOs, human rights organizations and other stakeholders that had been organized by KELIN, Ipas and Reproductive Health Rights Alliance. The objective of the meeting was to: - To critically review civil society engagement on the health bill so far - To engage with the National Assembly and Senate on the next steps post public participation - To jointly formulate strategies within and beyond the senate to ensure incorporation of key issues Some CSOs had concerns on whether all the issues would be taken up- it was discussed that there is need to continue monitoring the drafts of the bills to ensure inputs are incorporated. As a follow up, meetings will be held with members of the health committee at the national level. A session on understanding the parliamentary process Link to Reproductive HealthCare Bill 2 It was agreed that there is need to work with the courts as a last resort. 1 _1st_JULY.pdf 2 1_.pdf 5 P a g e

6 and procedures in the senate;-beyond public participation was also discussed. Litigation as a last resort was further discussed and led by a commissioner from Commission for the implementation of the constitution (CIC). The use of a good social media strategy is required There is need to maintain relationships with the advocacy targets: the Senate, the Clerk and Health committee members at the national level There is need to map out champions at the national level for the respective bills 2. Highlights of the program (Activities, High level meetings, Events, Visitors, Advocacy issues) Inception meetings at the county level: The project held inception meetings and met with county officials in Kajiado, Narok, Homabay and Siaya Counties: mainly the Governors, members of county assembly (MCAs), County Directors, County and Sub County health management teams, CSOs, legal officers, Speakers of the county assembly, Training institutions such as KMTC, the courts as well as other stakeholders. Dialogue and Dissent Meeting organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands: Amref attended a Dialogue and Dissent (D & D) meeting that was organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kenya. The forum provided an opportunity for stakeholder engagement. The Embassy committed to following up on the actionable items particularly on information sharing platforms, and encouraged the partners to begin to familiarize themselves with their different programs and meet bilaterally where there were opportunities for collaboration. The discussions also centered on the following issues: - The need to show value for money given the focus on lobby and advocacy - The need to have regional convening s (e.g. East Africa) given that most programs are operating in multiple countries - To what extent does the Embassy engage in advocacy efforts? - How can we apply the lessons learned from other strategic partnerships to ensure success in the D&D? Public participation of the Health Bill at KICC for advocacy on specific issues in HRH and SRH Commodities 6 P a g e Meeting with CSOs and the Senate to review the next steps beyond public participation of the respective health bills: Reproductive HealthCare Bill and the Health Bill

7 3. Challenges experienced and actions taken The have been delays in meeting with key stakeholders at the national level. There is need for all Alliance members to plan, communicate and coordinate activities in a timely manner to ensure complementarity and that the shared vision is achieved. 4. Program and/or advocacy interventions effectiveness (How did you influence the change you plan for?) Through the multi-stakeholder platforms while working with CSOs focusing on HRH and SRH Commodities. Public Hearing meetings as organized by the Senate- National Assembly in Kenya Continuous collaboration with HSA partners 5. Key activities set for the planning period Finalize on Introductory meetings at County and National level Baseline survey- Recruit a consultant to lead in the baseline survey; Identification of succinct advocacy issues in HRH & SRH commodities at national and county level Dissemination of project baseline survey findings Continue with Stakeholder Analysis/ Power Mapping of Actors- Map out Stakeholders and Champions at the various level, National and County Hold Country management group meetings Development of Advocacy messages targeting different audiences at the County and National Level MOU signing meetings with the County Government-Ensure MOUs are signed with respective County Governments Participation in stakeholder forums- CSO platforms, Technical working groups, HRH interagency coordinating committee (ICC) on HRH and SRH Commodities Continue Mapping out Multi-Stakeholder platforms to engage with at the National and County Level Continuous monitoring of the respective Bills at the national level Work with the counties to customize/introduce bills relevant to HRH and SRH Commodities Attend trainings on engaging with the Judiciary through Advocacy- Facilitated by Amref HQ 7 P a g e

8 Some of the Project Activity Photos are attached below: Inception meetings at the County Level in Kenya Dorcus Indalo, HSA Project Manager, with Gov. Narok County H.E Samuel Tunai during inception meetings in May 2016 Dorcus Indalo, HSA Project Manager, with Gov. Narok County H.E Samuel Tunai and Robert Athewa of Amref Health Africa during inception meetings in May 2016 Dorcus Indalo, HSA Project Manager, with Gov. Narok County H.E d David Nkendienye, the Governor of Kajiado County during inception meetings in May 2016 Project team members with Members of County Assembly- MCAs- Narok County during the inception meetings in May 2016 Project team in an Inception meeting with CSOs in Siaya County in June 2016 The project team in an inception meeting with the Kenya Medical Training Institute (KMTC) in Homabay County on June P a g e

9 Dialogue and Dissent meeting with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Various partners during the dialogue and Dissent meeting with the Embassy of Netherlands Stakeholders meeting on Dialogue and Dissent organized by the Embassy of Netherlands 9 P a g e