Community Care Clubs
Turning its methodology of 'Community Gardening' into practice, the World Care Council is piloting a number of model projects in India. Below is an outline of this innovative approach to social mobilization.
Background
As public health programs in India are struggling to address the growing needs of the population, and private healthcare is financially beyond the reach of most people, local communities must play a greater role in bridging the gap that allows preventable diseases to cause death and much suffering. Towards this broad-based participation, a dynamic new initiative is gathering pace to forge a model of mobilization for healthcare scale-up, from the bottom-up.
Objectives
- To reach out, inform and engage the population of specific catchment areas to participate in a campaign to improve community health, with a focus on care for the infectious diseases of TB and HIV.
- To train, enable, and empower 50 TB and TB-HIV patients to take a leadership role in advocacy for the scale-up of health services, to support their peers under treatment, and to develop pro-active case finding in their communities.
- To have a substantial impact on improving case detection, increasing adherence, and strengthening prevention.
- To contribute to the resource mobilization needed to develop ‘Centers of Excellence’ at key health providers offering TB and HIV services in the catchment zone, and to increase access to quality care.
- To design and conduct operational research on the implementation of a 'rights and responsibilities' approach for partnerships in health, based on the Patients’ Charter for Tuberculosis Care and the PLHIV Charter for HIV Care.
Description
Innovative communications can transform individual health concerns into healthy activities to benefit a wider community. Under the banner of Community Care Clubs, broad-based membership organizations are being established in New Delhi and Goa, seeking to improve the health and well-being of all those who live or work there. In these pilot projects, teams of ex-TB patients and/or PLHIV, are being trained to reach out, raise awareness and 'sell' participation in the welfare of the community. Driving a response to TB, HIV/AIDS, and assist members with other local problems such as diabetes, hepatitis, dengue and malnutrition. Using new methods of outreach, including an ambulance as a mobile platform of communication, a macro-economic system of financial incentives, and monthly social-cultural events, the Clubs will provide a evidenced model that social mobilization from the bottom-up can lower the burdens of disease.
Partnerships
Reaching out and bringing together an ever-growing partnership-in-health is at the heart of this fast-paced initiative, growing out from the existing collaboration with The Union (IUATLD Delhi), Government of India (RNTCP and NACO), Indian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (INP+), India Business Alliance, World Vision India, LRS Institute, and Delhi Mahila Samiti (Forum for Women Living with HIV). Taking the concept of a Public-Private-Patient Partnership to new levels of effectiveness ‘on the ground’, the Community Care Club, driven by patients, will bring together the public sectors and civil society - hundreds of local NGOs, merchants, large enterprises, schools, cultural and faith based organizations, and thousands of individuals who live or work in the areas, in common cause. By actively inviting enterprises to participate in an innovative platform of communications, and amplifying and showcasing the initiative nationally and internationally, partners will not only help model this needed program for scale-up, but will be well recognized for their support. Commercial opportunities, product placement and media-friendly activities have been designed to encourage the private sector, from members of the India Business Alliance of leading companies to the small commerce in the community. The macro-economic program integral to the Community Care Club is designed to enable a self sustaining system of finance within two years - the community will be empowered for future growth.
Conclusion
In face of the growing need to scale-up services, recession in donor-country economies, and stagnation in key elements of WHO and Indian health program's progress, it is now time to build a new model for mobilizing communities to take a more meaningful and responsible role. The partnership that is forging this tool is open to all, in common cause. Join the Community Care Club, a healthy innovation.
Contact: Celina Menezes, Coordinator e-mail: menezes at worldcarecouncil.org tel: 9868745925