The Kenya Stop Stock- Outs (SSO) team on the 4th of November 2009 hosted Health Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to a half day workshop in Nairobi. The workshop targeted all levels of health CSOs- from those working on policy issues those delivering services especially to the poor and vulnerable. All of the participants at the workshop have been involved in health issues; with some having worked on Access to Medicines issues.
The objectives of the workshop were:
To share experiences on access to medicines, stock outs of medicines and efforts towards influencing policies and practices that support sustainable access to medicines- including successes and challenges
To strengthen health CSOs participation in Access to medicines issues
To promote a joint efforts towards campaigning/ advocating against stock outs of medicine
Besides achieving the above objectives the workshop was expected to popularize the SSO Campaign beyond the four organizations represented in the team.
The participants were very enthusiastic and supportive of the SSO campaign. They shared their own experiences in working on health and Access to medicines issues from which the SSO team should learn from; and made very concrete suggestions some of which are highlighted below:
Consider linkages with other related issues and focus on strategies with biggest impact. Access to Healthcare is a complex issue affected by many inter- related factors which should not be looked at in isolation, for instance by engaging networks like the International Network for the Rational Use of Drugs (INRUD) to tackle issues of rational use of medicines
The campaign should focus on decentralizing its message so that there is support even beyond Nairobi. For this to happen there is need for resource mobilization and working with interested CSOs to support activities at their level of operation
CSOs should not focus on criticizing the government but offer sustainable solutions to the problem
Deeper engagement of communities so that they can be part of the solution at their own level e.g. through involvement at health center management teams, involvement in developing respective community health strategies, monitoring of medicines availability
Managing public expectations. Once public awareness has been raised, it is critical to know before hand how to handle their expectations.
Lobby for rationalization of health ministries to ensure efficient use of available budgetary allocation to Health
Joint advocacy and community awareness raising
Take advantage of health related days to capture the public and media attention such the World Aids Day
Adopt different, more innovative and specific approaches for targeting different stakeholder groups. For instance some approaches may be effective for community awareness and mobilization, but probably not for policy level dialogue
Effective organization of CSOs to ensure that they are able to take advantage of upcoming opportunities such as the on- going reforms at the Kenya Medical Supply Agency (KEMSA).
Information sharing, proper coordination and linkages/ networking with other initiatives to avoid duplication and to strengthen respective initiatives.
As we move forward with the campaign, getting the support of other civil society organizations is critical. Some of the organizations are involved at the grassroot level and will be critical in community mobilization while others work at the policy level and their support in policy advocacy around issues of availability of medicines cannot be ignored.
Civil society members at the meeting
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