The International Conference on Community Health: The Role of Community Health in Strengthening Health Systems January 25 th -28 th, 2011

Transcription

1 REPUBLIC OF RWANDA MINISTRY OF HEALTH The International Conference on Community Health: The Role of Community Health in Strengthening Health Systems January 25 th -28 th, 2011 Announcement and Call for Abstracts

2 REPUBLIC OF RWANDA MINISTRY OF HEALTH First International Conference on Community Health: The Role of Community Health in Strengthening Health Systems Hosted by The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Rwanda and Development Partners January 25-28, 2011 Venue: Kigali Serena Hotel Rwanda

3 Message from the Chairperson Dear Colleagues, Greetings from Rwanda, the Country of Thousand Hills. We are pleased to announce the International Conference on community health which will take place in Kigali, Rwanda from January 25 th -28 th, 2011 at the Kigali Serena Hotel. The main Theme of the Conference is The Role of Community Health in Strengthening Health Systems. The Rwandan Ministry of Health, with its partners requests you to prepare abstracts to be reviewed by the steering committee. The deadline for submission of abstracts is December 29 th, 2010 at 12:00 PM. Please find submission opportunities and requirements below. We look forward to your active participation and attendance in this conference in the ever Green and Clean Capital of our country.

4 Conference Information Conference dates: January 25-28, 2011 Venue: Kigali Serena Hotel, Rwanda Purpose: Rwanda recognizes community health as an important component of its health sector strategic plan, social development strategy and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). To this end, the Rwandan Ministry of Health, ACCESS Project, CCP, CHAI, EIP, FHI, JHPIEGO, MCHIP, MSH, Partners In Health, PSI, the Transformational Development Agency, UNICEF, USG and WHO have partnered to host the First international conference on community health. The international conferences on community health were developed to: 1. Establish an informed community of advocates among health and development professionals for continued improvement of community health; 2. Provide recommendations for a continually evolving community health policy; 3. Disseminate and share best practices in community health globally, regionally, and nationally; and 4. Provide input into guidelines for all aspects of community health Theme: The Role of Community Health in Strengthening Health Systems The 2011 conference will focus on how interventions addressing the health of the community play a role in strengthening the broader health system. This year s conference theme and location were chosen in recognition of the growing attention to the community level in all aspects of health systems strengthening, and Rwanda s contribution to innovative strategies in this area. In addition, presentations on the Rwandan experience will be featured in each of the conference sessions. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a Framework for Action to address the urgent need to improve the performance of health systems, in large part to help meet the MDGs. 1 The framework is based on six building blocks: 1. Good health services; 2. A well-performing health workforce; 3. A well-functioning health information system; 4. Equitable access to essential medical products, vaccines and technologies; 5. A good health financing system; and 6. Leadership and governance. This conference will examine each of these six areas as they relate to community health, understanding that they are cross-cutting and often inter-related. 1 World Health Organization (WHO). Everybody s business: strengthening health systems to improve health outcomes: WHO s framework for action. Geneva: WHO; 2007.

5 2011 Conference Goal and Objectives: Goal: Highlight best practices that effectively improve the health of the community while strengthening the overall health system. Objective 1: Share knowledge of innovative and effective interventions to improve the health of the community and strengthen health systems Objective 2: Advocate for community-based approaches to reduce child, newborn and maternal morbidity and mortality and strengthen health systems Objective 3: Provide an opportunity for health professionals and policy-makers to work together towards improving the health of the community and strengthening health systems Community health There are different levels of interventions, strategies and policies targeting community health: community, health center, district and national. The following provides a brief description of what is included in the six building blocks for strengthening health systems, each of which can be addressed at every level. 1. Good community health services Providing good health services at the community level is central to a strong health system. These include, but are not limited to: a. Preventive services such as: community-based distribution of condoms, bed nets, etc., nutrition monitoring of children under-five and vaccination b. Promotional services targeting behavior change such as: community culinary demonstrations for improved nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, HIV testing, family planning and bed net use c. Curative services such as: community case management of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea d. Other services such as: palliative or home-based care, mental health or psychosocial support and direct observation of TB and HIV treatment 2. A well-performing health workforce The provision of good health services must be carried out by an effective health workforce. This includes community health workers (CHWs) and community health supervisors, among others. Some important issues to consider include: a. Selection of community health workers

6 b. Training of community health workers c. A system of supervision and support for community health workers d. Incentives and motivation for community health workers 3. A well-functioning health information system Data are collected to monitor, manage, supervise and evaluate community health activities and programmes at all levels. Components include: a. Recording and reporting: how data from the community level are collected, reported, analyzed, used and fed back b. Technology such as reporting and surveillance systems using mobile phones, handheld devices or other technology to improve community health c. Evaluations, studies or assessments of community health interventions, strategies or policies 4. Equitable access to essential medical products, vaccines and technologies This may include issues related to: a. Supply chain management of community level supplies and medicines b. Distribution of supplies and medicines at the community level by health workers (e.g. family planning methods, diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia treatment, bed nets, etc.) c. Technologies such as rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) for malaria, Uniject, etc. for facilitating community health interventions d. Introduction and implementation of new vaccines to improve community health, e.g. Hib, HPV, etc. 5. A good health financing system Community health financing may include the following: a. Community-based insurance schemes to make health services more accessible b. Performance-based financing systems to promote quality of services available to the community

7 c. Cooperatives and other income-generating activities for supporting community health workers d. Any other systems for financing community health interventions and improving community health 6. Leadership and governance This includes the following components: a. Advocacy for community health at all levels including community involvement b. Policy to improve community health at all levels Community health in Rwanda The Government of Rwanda (GoR) has long recognized the importance of decentralising health care delivery down to the community level. Since 1995, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has implemented community health interventions in order to improve the quality and equity of heath care for rural populations. More recently, the MoH developed the Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP-II), which incorporates the six building blocks for health systems strengthening described above. The plan acknowledges the importance of community health workers (CHWs) in decentralizing care into people s homes, encouraging communities to take responsibility for their own health, as well as to improve health through illness prevention, early detection of illnesses, and promoting utilization of health services. 2 There are currently close to 60,000 CHWs in place across Rwanda. Community health in Rwanda focuses on four aspects of health service delivery: curative, preventive, promotional and rehabilitative. In an effort to clarify the objectives, structures and processes through which the GoR together with partners can most effectively improve community health outcomes, the GoR is in the process of revising its Community Health Strategic Plan The plan encompasses a wide range of programmes including: the National Programme on Leprosy and Tuberculosis, the National Malaria Control Programme, Environmental Health Programmes, the National Programme on Community-Based Nutrition, the National Expanded Programme on Immunization, the Reproductive Health Programme, Integrated Management of Childhood Infections (IMCI), Care and Support for PLWHA. Rwanda has been a leader in the development of innovative community-based national programmes in the following ways: 2 Government of Rwanda Ministry of Health (MoH). Health sector strategic plan: July 2009 June 2012 (HSSP II). Rwanda: MoH; 2009.

8 In 2007, Rwanda initiated selection, training and placement of community health workers in all villages (imidugudu) in the country to more effectively reach the population with key preventive, promotive and curative health services In 2008, the government initiated a community-based insurance scheme (Mutuelle) to improve access to essential facility-based health services In 2009, Rwanda implemented a community health performance-based financing model and organized all of its CHWs into income-generating cooperatives In 2010, the President of Rwanda issued mobile phones to all CHWs. Two programmes RapidSMS and Phones4Health -- are using the phones to track pregnant women and facilitate reporting. In sum, there is global recognition that it is only possible to achieve many of the MDGs with the support of community-based interventions. The third international conference on community health seeks to forward this agenda by exploring ways that will help countries reach their health and development goals.

9 Call for Abstracts To submit an abstract, please complete and return the attached form electronically by 12:00 noon December 29, 2010 to with copy to: 1. Dr. Fidele Ngabo, Head of Maternal and Child Health Department 2. Cathy Mugeni, Head of Community Health Desk Global, regional and national professionals and experts are invited to submit abstracts in the following subject areas: The six building blocks: approaches for improving community health 1. Good health services a. Prevention of morbidity and mortality in the community b. Promotion of health in the community c. Community-based care and treatment 2. A well-performing health workforce: effective strategies to select, train, supervise and motivate the health workforce at the community level 3. A well-functioning health information system: monitoring and evaluation in community health 4. Equitable access to essential medical products, vaccines and technologies in community health 5. A good health financing system: community health financing strategies 6. Leadership and governance: effective and innovative strategies and policies including advocacy Oral Presentations Oral Presenters will deliver brief oral presentations and participate in plenary session panel discussions at the conference. Approximately 30 oral presentations will be selected. Poster Presentations Accepted posters will be displayed throughout the duration of the conference at the venue, and will provide opportunities for networking and dissemination of research. Approximately 30 posters will be selected.

10 Basic Information Title (not to exceed 15 words) Authors (provide full names) Institutions (provide authors institutions and addresses) Oral or Poster Presentation (indicate whether abstract is for an oral or poster presentation) Subject area (1-6) Level of intervention, strategy or policy (community, health center, district, national) Third International Community Health Conference Abstract Submission Form Abstract The abstract should be no more than 300 words and be submitted using the following format: Background (Describe the setting for the intervention, policy or strategy) Methods (Describe the target population, intervention, policy or strategy, process of development and implementation) Results (Summarize the outcome or status of the intervention, strategy or policy, presenting any data if available) Conclusion (Describe the lessons learned, impact or expected effect on community health)