Malaria Competence |
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The Malaria Competence approach integrates and coordinates all of the different activities of the community. The community is able to see all of the things that it could do to take action against malaria, it can decide on its own priorities and it can take action based on those priorities.(See video clips below)
Consequently, there is a clear sense of ownership of the programme. This is their programme. As Adama says, "When communities plan for themselves, they tend to take ownership of those plans."(See video clips below)
The Malaria Competence approach gives the community the opportunity to discuss all of their health issues. People get into the habit of discussion. As the lady from Alaukpabount. (See video clips below)
And perhaps at the heart of all these changes is the remarkable role played by women in all of this. Once they understand the relevance of the Self Assessment to the health of the community they act. Young women see the impact that it can have on their own health and the health of their children. The older women see that they can be a force for good in the lives of their daughters and their grandchildren. It is only a slight exageration to say that their total determination to implement these programmes that they are convinced can save the lives of their children, grandchildren and daughters is the single most important factor in the success of the process. Over and over again, we hear that women are the ones who gain the knowledge. This knowledge means that their voice gains weight in the community. They take action. And their status in the community improves.. (See video clips below)
Blaise Toulassi Sedoh, Coordinator of the Togolese Red Cross with responsibility for HIV/AIDS and malaria
'The Self Assessment lets you bring together all of the different interventions. It is like a platform, a consensus so that at least you know the minima on which you can build your programme.'
Blaise Toulassi Sedoh, Coordinator of the Togolese Red Cross with responsibility for HIV/AIDS and malaria
'The Self Assessment is an approach that is integrated...it is not so much a project as a tool that is integrated into the social and communtiy mobilisation.'Dr Adam Jagne Sonko, Programme Manager, National Malaria Control Programme, Gambia
'If communities plan for themselves, they tend to take ownership of those plans. And they make sure that by the time that you come back, their promises are fulfilled.'Dr Baba Njie, Regional Health Officer (North Bank West Region)
'With this process, they just come out with their strategies. And that is it. They own it. There is ownership'Blaise Toulassi Sedoh, Coordinator of the Togolese Red Cross with responsibility for HIV/AIDS and malaria
'But when you gather around such an issue as AIDS, malaria or another health issue, nobody can start to say that AIDS is the responsibility of this person. No these health issues are issues that bring people closer. They are common issues.'
A woman from the village of Alaukpabounto in the Central Region of Togo
'When we get home after one of the meetings on the Self Assessmetn, we discuss with our husband the need for a couple to have children. You must discuss with your husband about the spacing in time between children. I think that if we discuss gently with our husbands, they will understand us.'
Gladys Tay-Agbobli, assistant to the Health Programme of the Red Cross with special responsibility for the Clubs for Mothers.
'Using the Self Assessment tool made it possible for us to integrate women in the search for their own health....So the use of this tool allowed us to change behaviours, and most of all the behaviour of women.'
Kevin Hughes, Programme Director of the Nova Scotia Gambia Association (NSGA), Gambia.
'It was also an ideal tool to get maximum participation from all quarters of the community, particularly in the role of women. I think that it allowed them to become extremely active within the community. And also to play a much more active role in decision making.'
Aziawo Kokou, District Coach for Zio-south (Maritime Region)
'This Club for Mothers has learnt how to look at the disease by using the Self Assessment tool. Before, they thought that malaria was caused by sorcery, that the disease was sent by the sorcerer. But now that they have studied, they have seen that the mosquitoes are responsible for malaria.'
Sevi Sohu, District Coach for Zio-south (Maritime Region)
'Before the women would not speak in front of the community. Now they stand up and talk about malaria..'
Adelassissi Aremu, Coordinator of the Togolese Red Cross in the Savanes Region.
'Today this is a fact: the Clubs for Mothers have changed the image of the villages. In the villages, the Clubs for Mothers have changed the image of couples. In the villages, the Clubs for Mothers have changed the image of woman herself.'
Adelassissi Aremu, Coordinator of the Togolese Red Cross in the Savanes Region.
'When we use the Self Assessment for Malaria Competence in the villages, the women are always the first ones to answer. She can tell you how you get malaria and how it can be avoided and treated. She will even tell you what malaria means for the household and the community in terms of risks.'
Dr Adam Jagne Sonko, Programme Manager, National Malaria Control Programme, Gambia
'Using theSelf Assessment process, they identified late booking as a problem. And what they did on their own was as follows. They have these women’s groups and they were somehow policing each other. They would look across at each other and anyone of them that they suspected was pregnant, they would make sure that they would go to the clinic as early as possible so that you would get your 2 doses of IPT.'