ORIENTATION OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS, DEBs, TEACHERS AND PTA UNDER THE ONE STOP SERVICE PROJECT
The Promotion of Womenâs Health throughout the Life Cycle at One Stop Service Site in Zambia is a project which aims at improving the access to quality services for womenâs health in the project areas. JOICFP (Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning) in collaboration with PPAZ (Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia) is implementing this project in six (6) new project sites in Masaiti and Mpongwe districts. The Project runs for three (3) years from January 2018 to January 2021 and is being implemented
The implementation of the project consists of a number of activities that include orientation of local stakeholders, notably the Local Steering Committee who are partners in navigating project implementation and success in respective local sites. Among other things, the local stakeholders help in the identification of various maternal and child health challenges as well as adolescent sexual reproductive health issues affecting the communities. Equally, the local stakeholders are expected to mandate themselves with proactive roles and responsibilities that are set as benchmarks for addressing various challenges affecting women and adolescents in the communities.
On September 6th, 2018, JOICFP and PPAZ convened an orientation meeting at Njelemani rural health center in Masaiti district. Participants of the meeting were traditional leaders, Parents Teachers Association (PTA), DEBs, and Teachers. The meeting was being facilitated by JOICFP/PPAZ and District Health Office (DHO).
The objectives of the meeting were: 1. To strengthen the network among the traditional leaders, teachers and PTA in the project sites and to promote and support ASRH activities in the community; 2. To introduce the concept of the project and share the lessons learnt from the previous project sites; 3. To introduce the concept of Minute format for Local Steering Committee; 4. To develop the roles and responsibilities of the relevant stakeholders for the project.
Participants of the meeting were reminded about the importance of collaborating with the health sector in improving maternal and child health indicators. The Masaiti district MCH coordinator said âAs a health sector, we are glad that we are able to engage influential people like yourselves (traditional leaders, teachers, PTA) to assist in improving the key Maternal Newborn and Child Health indicatorsâ, such as; facility deliveries, Postnatal attendance, Antenatal attendance, and male involvement. Participants were also reminded to be actively involved in helping to implement various project activities for the One Stop project. This could be done through inter alia; sensitizations, health education, and health advocacy. Other issues highlighted were the need to increase coverage of key Maternal Newborn and Child Health indicators and also to reduce on maternal mortality. Teachers were also reminded to encourage those school girls who fall pregnant to start attending ANC early.
Some of the identified challenges that were affecting the communities included: Faking the age; Adolescents not coming for safe deliveries at the facility and to attend antenatal for fear of being punished by the chief; Not coming for family planning for fear of being stigmatized as prostitutes; Not coming for early antenatal booking with their partners; Unsafe abortions; Parents not bringing their children with children with sexual problems for counselling; Lack of proper link between the health center staff and headmen as well as other people; Lack of knowledge on sexual reproductive services offered at the health center; Lack of infrastructures to support the girl childâs health; Lack of proper referral system for those pregnant girls who need quick specialized maternal services.
Emanating from the above challenges, participants of the meeting were then tasked to come up with their roles and responsibilities of addressing such challenges as stakeholders. Continued sensitization. The following were the roles and responsibilities that were formed by the committee: To provide technical support to the peer educators; Traditional leadership to hold regular meetings with the community; Allow teachers to continue with comprehensive sexuality education in the schools and to provide information; This committee to help collaboration between teachers and parents through e.g P.TA meetings; This committee to help collaboration between health personnel and teachers
Participants of the meeting agreed that they will be conducting quarterly meetings. The first meeting will be convened on 6th December, 2018. It was also agreed that the committee be named stakeholderâs committee.
 Joan Manda giving her presentation during the meeting
Participants paying attention to the proceedings
Mr Soko, the health staff from Njelemani RHC, giving his presentation
Mr Kapili Malias, a traditionla leader from Njelemani, giving his presentation
Participants of the meeting converse during group discussions
Mr Hijuwa victor, a teacher from Lupiya, giving his presenatationÂ










