Status: Completed Start Date: 2009 End Date: – Geographic Coverage: District Charsadda, KPK Focus Area: Health sector SDG Goal: 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being of all, at every age Implementing Partner: SPO and partner organizations Funding Partner: –
Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) through its integrated interventions have addressed governance issues in different sectors such as health, education, water and sanitation and sustainable livelihoods. After the enactment of Local Government Ordinance (LGO), several local level issues pertaining to health sector had surfaced in District Charsadda.
According to SPO field observations and reports from partner organizations there was wide spread impression in Charsadda like other districts of the country that the attitudes of government health staff towards the public were often unfriendly. Staff absenteeism was also generally acknowledged to be a significant problem. Health staff, especially medical officers, compete for postings to health facilities in the busier towns and trading centers where they could have a profitable private clinic on the side. This tends to increase the frequency of transfers and further weakens the ties of staff to communities. The mechanism of monitoring and accountability in relations to these problems was insufficient; therefore, there was a need to regularly monitor the performance of health staff and their health facilities.
The project aimed to activate the monitoring system of health sector in district Charsadda. To achieve this goal, 25 Health Monitoring Committee (HMC) at UC level were formed alongside two at district level. Second objective was to form and strengthen district health board at district Charsadda to hold the HMCs accountable for their responsibility while third objective was to create awareness among the masses about their basic right to good quality health services through advocacy work. SPO was the primary implementer of the project with its partner network; Charsadda Civil Society Network (CSN). All activities in the project area were organized under three phases of mobilization, capacity building, and advocacy. The advocacy initiatives were carried out in collaboration with the civil society networks and were also integral part of the project.
The anticipated result of this intervention was improved performance of government health services in district Charsadda. To ensure joint monitoring and following participatory approach the HMC was formed consisting of local community and government representatives. Major stakeholders such as District Nazim, DCO, Tehsil Nazim, and EDO Health were engaged through this intervention.
At the capacity building phase in order to improve understanding of government health care givers regarding women health issues, health provider’s role and responsibilities, and information analysis, a series of trainings were conducted for district level health committees.
Because the local networks and community based organizations had partnered with SPO, the government services had become more responsive and effective in District Charsadda. In order to sensitize people about their right to health and make health departments more responsive to the needs of people, the civil society network also organized seminars, dialogues and awareness sessions at community level. This project strengthened linkages between district health management committee and district health boards, CSN, and district Local Government so that synergies were created between the efforts and local model of sustainability.
