CECHLA
Funded by Centre for Disease Control, the project aims to contribute towards an increase in the uptake of quality services by key populations defined here as people living with HIV, sex workers, displaced populations and young people under age 25. The Coalition for Effective Community Health and HIV Response, Leadership and Accountability (CECHLA) project is working with various community based organizations in Harare, Makonde rural, Kadoma, Chegutu, Marondera, Mutare rural, and Norton districts in Zimbabwe. In 2015, a total of 7 841 (4 459 females and 3 382 males) priority population were reached with a standardized HIV prevention package. The project also utilized the Join-In-Circuit (JIC) on HIV, Love and Sexuality tool to reach to 203 female sex workers. The CECHLA project managed to train consortium members on Health and HIV related issues affecting key and vulnerable populations. Of special note was the training of 50 media practitioners on Health and HIV advocacy issues and accurate reporting.
Objectives of the CECHLA project
- To increase the accountability and transparency of Zimbabwe’s national commitments towards HIV and other health issues related to key populations.
- To reduce legal, policy and structural barriers that impedes efficient health service delivery and access by key populations.
- To reduce stigma and discrimination for key populations and other vulnerable groups through community advocacy.
- To capacitate Civil Society Organizations, to effectively advocate for improved access to and provision of quality health services for key populations and other vulnerable groups.
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Katswe Sisterhood Case Study GOAL: Increasing access & uptake of Quality Health and HIV services by key and vulnerable populations The Challenge Access to health was increasingly becoming a nightmare. This was as a result of health workers’ negative attitudes towards patients. As a result, the majority of local people who stay in Hopley were shunning health services at this local clinic and preferred to incur transport cost going to other clinics situated in other suburbs where they could access quality health services. One of the worst incident of negative attitude and behavior towards patients is when the clerk at Hopley clinic shouted at patients and started poking one of a female patient with a pen. This resulted in a fist fight between the clerk and the female patient named Tracy (not real name). This precedence resulted in many locals shunning the health services at this clinic. The absence of functional Health Centre Committee (HCC) to address this gap also worsened the challenge. The Intervention Katswe Sistahood through the CECHLA grant intervened by reviving and strengthening the HCC. Several complaints had been raised about the clerk’s attitude towards patients. The HCC handled the case and eventually the clerk was transferred from the clinic. There has been no other reports as yet on the patients being treated harshly by nurses at the clinic. To date, some of the health related issues affecting Hopley community are now being jointly solved by the community and health workers through HCC meetings which are held monthly. ”It was hard for us to go and be treated at the local clinic because the clerk was very rude. I am now glad that she is no longer there and the remaining health workers are treating us well and are sensitive to our vulnerability. The majority of the locals are now accessing health services at the local clinic as opposed to previously when we dreaded going to our local clinic” – Tracy (Hopley) The Results The HCC helped bring about the change at the clinic as they were able to address the challenge faced by the clinic staff of being rude to patients. This can be attributed to the platforms created by the CECHLA intervention to let people know about the HCC and its role in improving the quality of health service delivery at the clinic. In addition, there is increased number of local Hopley residents who are now accessing health services at clinic as compared to previous period. |
