Using Faith-Based Assets to Improve Child Survival: The Role of Faith

Communities in Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC)

Christian Health Association of Nigeria (CHAN) Experiences

Presented by Nanle Peter Walman

Director of Programmes CHAN

January 15, 2015

Overview of CHAN • Founded in 1973, CHAN is a faith-based

association of 500 Christian Health facilities, 35 schools of nursing and midwifery and other medical training schools in Nigeriao Sustainable, decentralized structure that

permeates into hard-to-reach communities.

oMandate of reaching the unreachedoVision: Delivering holistic, efficient and

responsive healthcare for all people in Nigeria

CHAN Role in Child Survival

Continuum of Care and Human life cycle

Christian

Family

Church

Christian Health Facilities & training Institutions

Household (Family)

Immunisation • CHAN

Partnership with FMOH and UNICEF

Nutrition and micronutrient supplementation • Made available -

172,250 Vit A and 1,287 multi

Deworming of children from 1-5 years -168250

Home visits Hygiene and

sanitation including hand washing education

Family health

Community and Outreach

Developing scriptural texts and sermons on child survival interventions

Community and church advocacy and social mobilisation for action

Primary health care services to hard to reach communities via mobile services–no discrimination

Immunisation (FMOH/UNICEF)

Health promotion, education and prevention

Advocacy initiatives

Health Facility

HR for health Capacity building for

health staff -e.g. integrated management of childhood illnesses

MNCH services• Access to care:

Christian health facilities

• ANC/PNC• Nutrition Member institutions

for health training:• Schools of

Nursing and Midwifery,

• Schools of Health Technology - training CHWs

• Medical colleges And more…

CHAN’s Role in Child Survival

Using faith-based communication channels to change behaviours

and policy environment

CHAN Immunization Case Study

Using faith-based asset to improve maternal and Child Survival

CHAN Immunization Case Study • CHAN worked with the FMOH and UNICEF on a

campaign for Expanded Programme on Immunisation (NPI) o Targets in the MOU were:• Children under five years for immunisation

800,000• Pregnant women for Tetanus Toxoid vaccine

200,000• Total Children and Pregnant women

1,000,000

CHAN Immunization Case Study o Implementation strategy included:

o Mobilizing religious and community leaders to provide information on rationale and benefits of immunizing children and pregnant women

o Mobilizing religious leaders to guide community members to immunization sites by developing a sharing a database of sites with them and coaching them on directing people to the sites nearest them.

o Mobilizing and orient health care workers on the vaccination program

o Developing and distributing print and radio jingles on the importance of immunization

o Training CHAN health staff across the country in each geopolitical zones

CHAN Immunization Case Study • Results

o 120% achievement was recorded of children and pregnant women who were vaccinated (in one week)

o Attributed to the following factors:• Involvement of religious leaders and community

leaders as gatekeepers - dispelling false beliefs around vaccine & FP

• Experience in primary health care programme and ability to reach the hard to reach areas with vaccines

• Infrastructural upgrade of CHAN and its Member institutions in a cold chain system

CHAN Immunization Case Study o As such, the FMOH and UNICEF donated to CHAN

additional materials to support routine immunization:• Cold box vaccine carriers and refrigerators,

equipment and generators for cold room equipped for vaccine storage:o Jos for Northern states o Imo for Eastern states o Ibadan for Western States

CHAN Immunization Case Study Lesson Learnt:oChurch leaders are movers and

shakers that if well mobilized can make interventions effective and sustainable

oTapping into a Church capillary system is a sustainable way for reaching the smallest unit of the society

CHAN Case Study 2:

Using faith-based assets to change policy environment

CHAN Advocacy with Church Leaders to increase

Government involvement and support

• Problem statement: Health facilities are limited or do not exist in hard-to-reach areas and CHAN mission health facilities fill a gap; however, because they remote, there is limited awareness and a lack of funding to maintain them.

• Objective :To train members and Church leaders in advocacy to increase funding for critical care.o Renovate and equip of hospitalso Improve schools of Nursing and Midwifery, which were on the verge of

closure o Strengthen HR for health facilities,

CHAN Advocacy with Church Leaders to increase

Government involvement and support

Outcome: • Budgetary allocation for mission health facilities - Over 5 billion naira

from the government of Anambra state between 2007 to 2014.

o 22 well equipped ambulances o Renovations to 3 colleges of nursing and midwifery o Construction of access roads to the hospitals and other health facilitieso Construction of new chest units and renovation of existing structures o Posting of specialized health staff to hospitals at the expense of

government

All these were made possible because the different church leaders from different denominations cooperated and worked together.

Experience of using the I-Kit for SBCC programming

Using the HC3 I-Kit for SBCC programming

• A rich, practical and context-related guide • Inclusion of religious text and developing of

sermons for religious leaders• The guide roadmap and its content allow

for:o Simulation and adaptation o Participation by different stakeholderso Stimulating leaders and faith communities to

take action o Educating the different stakeholders that have

level of influence on child survival

• CHAN developed its 5-year strategic plan on SBCC for optimal breastfeeding using the I-Kit

Thanks for

listening