Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109457

Laban Tsuma, MD, MPH, Headquarters, Plan International, 3260 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 21, Arlington, VA 22201, 1-703-807-0190, laban.tsuma@plan-international.org and Eileen Wilson, Secretariat, KHF, PO BOX 5229, Kwale, Kenya.

Background: Kwale District in Kenya, with a modest thirty registered non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and several hundred community based organizations (CBOs) working in it, has had comparatively little to show in terms of sustainable health. This is because organizations have striven to achieve their objectives in isolation from others, overlapped in geographical areas, and had little or no joint planning, evaluation or reporting to relevant government ministries. The stakeholder secretariat, or Kwale Health Forum, is a unique development addressing these issues through networking of agencies, organizations, partners and stakeholders at district level. Design/Methods: District level Ministry of Health (MOH) provided leadership in calling a forum of stakeholders to discuss the district's health situational analysis and to jointly develop a single district health work plan. A stakeholders secretariat was formed, not chaired by the MOH but having MOH representation, to coordinate stakeholders in implementing their share of the work plan and to maintain stakeholder relations. Financial and material support for the stakeholders was factored into the work plan. Results/Outcomes: The stakeholders secretariat has grown into a recognized interest group, the Kwale Health Forum (KHF), and built organizational capacity, a strategic plan and has attracted funding and hired a fulltime coordinator. The stakeholders have become more approachable to one another and the work plan has made them more accountable. Greater and rapid coverage of service indicators like childhood immunization realized through joint activities and sharing of resources especially transport. KHF has improved access to health information amongst partners and community and improved case referral and is playing an advocacy role to ensure fair allocation of resources for equitable health services. Conclusion: MOH commitment is key in bringing about supportive partnership into the Health System. Joint Planning and Implementation fosters accountability between partners. Stakeholder secretariats are effective in managing stakeholder relations at district level and are replicable. Partners: MOH, Line ministries, NGO partners, CBO partners, UNICEF, Private Sector partners, Other district Institutions.

Learning Objectives:

• To recognize the role of joint planning and implementation of annual work plan in strengthening partnerships and building trust at district level and to recognize the role of supporting a stakeholders secretariat to play the role of stakeholder facilitator and manage stakeholder relations.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation