COVID-19 RESPONSE AND RECOVERY SMALL GRANTS MECHANISM

Supporting Coordinated Civil Society Advocacy for ensuring service continuity for Women, Children and Adolescent Health

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) was the grant administrator for the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Small Grants Mechanism to support coordinated civil society and youth advocacy for ensuring service continuity for WCAH. MSH provided this grant to Women Coalition Against Cancer (WOCACA) in Malawi to support the following project goal, objectives and activities.

Project goal:

The project goal was aimed at supporting national objective to build capacity for community awareness and mobilization in order to create demand for cervical cancer prevention and control services.

Project objectives (SMART - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound)

Specifically, the project aimed to achieve 3 main objectives:

To conduct one advocacy and communications campaign, including through media engagement, to help communities to safely access essential health services related to cervical cancer such as vaccinations and screening during the COVID-19 campaign pandemic by 30th June, 2022

To support 2000 women and adolescent girls by mobilizing communities to ensure women, children and adolescents are continuing to demand and use essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic by 30th June, 2022.

To monitor service provision in 5 health facilities to ensure availability of and access to high-quality RMNCAH+N information, supplies and services in light of the pandemic by 30th June, 2022.

Specific activities

The key strategy enhanced awareness and behaviour change interventions of the community, policy makers, and health workers for cervical cancer prevention and control. Important target groups in the fight against cervical cancer included community, political and religious leaders; schools; the youth; traditional healers and media. Focus was aimed on husbands of women found with cancer and healthcare workers in rural areas who could promote or lower stigma and discrimination for women. This project used a multi-factorial approach; combining education, awareness raising and reducing stigma, to promote equality in health rights. The project carried out several activities during the Inception and planning phase as listed below;

Project inception activities

Conducted project De-briefing Meetings with Ministry of Health Central office

Conducted project De-briefing Meeting with Karonga District Health Management Committee

Carried out baseline with decision makers and key populations including a knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) baseline survey on cervical cancer in this time of COVID-19

Reviewed service delivery data collection tools

Trained partners in project indicators and M&E system

Developed referral pathways for clients with precancerous lesions.

The project carried out these key activities by specific objectives:

Specific Objective 1: To conduct one advocacy and communications campaign, including through media engagement, to help communities to safely access essential health services related to cervical cancer such as vaccinations and screening during the COVID-19 campaign pandemic. The activities specific to objective 1 are:

Conducted stakeholder engagement meetings; Ministry of Health, District Executive Committees; District Health Committee; Area Development Committees and Village Development Committee.

Built media capacity to enhance community awareness and mobilization through a targeted training session for media practitioners

Conducted mapping exercise of outreach clinics in Lilongwe to target in the campaign

Developed, disseminated and distributed Cervical cancer information, education and communication (IEC) materials for the target audience

Carried out audience analysis for the IEC materials

Identified Information, Education and communication expert

Identified of key messages.

Specific Objective 2: To support women and adolescent girls by mobilizing communities to ensure women, children and adolescents are continuing to demand and use essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The activities specific to objective 2 are:

The project was implememted from September 2021 to June, 2022