Occupy 2.0 Reinventing/Transforming traditional spaces & institutions -OuiSharefest 2014
Partnering with Traditional and Cultural institutions is ...
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http://speed.musph.ac.ug August 2019 Media Series “This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.” Partnering with Traditional and Cultural institutions is critical to advance the health sector aspirations in Uganda T he visit of the Ministry of Health delegation led by the Permanent Secretary to Buganda Kingdom on 8 th August 2019 captivated me greatly. There are various areas of health where traditional and cultural institutions can play active and crucial roles to support government effort. One such area is in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention through health education, and behavior change communication. Working with cultural institutions and leaders for example can mitigate the negative socio-cultural issues related to this pandemic. Indeed, already certain cultural institutions have taken on roles in this direction. The Kabaka of Buganda, for instance, is a National UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Male Engagement to End AIDS in the Buganda Kingdom. Although the Ministry of Health has initiated partnership with the Buganda Kingdom – particularly around Kabaka Run for Sickle Cell, Fistula, and health camps, there seems no systematic process to institutionalize the collaboration with the traditional and cultural institutions for health advancement. Public health practice tells us that improving good health and wellbeing of people requires paying attention to conditions in which people are born, grow, work and live. Addressing such conditions requires mobilizing efforts from a diversity of actors whose actions bear influence on these conditions. Cultural values, norms and beliefs are known to influence what people know, perceive and do in respect to whether they take up health improving or undermining activities. Traditional and cultural leaders play a big role in shaping these cultural norms and values. I drove on Entebbe road during the week leading to the commemoration of the 26 th coronation anniversary of the Kabaka (King) of Buganda Kingdom held on 31 st July 2019. I was fascinated by the melee and excitement that characterized all the towns along that 34km stretch from Kampala. It was evident that the Kabaka wields a lot of influence over his subjects Key Messages: 1. There are various areas of health where traditional and cultural institutions can play active and crucial roles to support government effort. One such area is in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention through health education, and behavior change communication. 2. Working with cultural institutions and leaders can mitigate the negative socio-cultural issues related to this pandemic 3. It is evident that the Kabaka wields a lot of influence over his subjects and those who look up to him. This level of influence can be leveraged optimally to advance health objectives in these jurisdictions. 4. Cultural functions such as wedding and burial ceremonies offer opportunities for health education on key health issues. Other avenues that can be leveraged for this role a range of mass media platforms including radio stations and television networks which offer immense opportunities for health programming. 5. Institutionalisation of the relationship between the ministry of health and cultural institution can be a good starting point to leverage on support cultural have to promote good health. Dr. Aloysius Ssennyonjo Project manager for the SPEED Project. Aloysius has a broad interest in critical appraisal and analysis of complex health systems and policy issues at global, national and subnational levels. The PS MOH Dr Diana Atwine shake hands with the Katikiro (Prime Minister) of Buganda, Owek. Peter Mayega at the Kingdom HQs, Mengo recently.
Transcript of Partnering with Traditional and Cultural institutions is ...
http://speed.musph.ac.ug August 2019
Media Series
“This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.”
Partnering with Traditional and Cultural institutions is critical to advance the health sector aspirations in Uganda
The visit of the Ministry of Health delegation led by the Permanent Secretary to Buganda Kingdom
on 8th August 2019 captivated me greatly. There are various areas of health where traditional and cultural institutions can play active and crucial roles to support government effort. One such area is in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention through health education, and behavior change communication. Working with cultural institutions and leaders for example can mitigate the negative socio-cultural issues related to this pandemic. Indeed, already certain cultural institutions have taken on roles in this direction. The Kabaka of Buganda, for instance, is a National UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Male Engagement to End AIDS in the Buganda Kingdom.
Although the Ministry of Health has initiated partnership with the Buganda Kingdom – particularly around Kabaka Run for Sickle Cell, Fistula, and health camps, there seems no systematic process to institutionalize the collaboration with the traditional
and cultural institutions for health advancement. Public health practice tells us that improving good health and wellbeing of people requires paying attention to conditions in which people are born, grow, work and live. Addressing such conditions requires mobilizing efforts from a diversity of actors whose actions bear influence on these conditions. Cultural values, norms and beliefs are known to influence what people know, perceive and do in respect to whether they take up health improving or undermining activities. Traditional and cultural leaders play a big role in shaping these cultural norms and values. I drove on Entebbe road during the week leading to the commemoration of the 26th coronation anniversary of the Kabaka (King) of Buganda Kingdom held on 31st July 2019. I was fascinated by the melee and excitement that characterized all the towns along that 34km stretch from Kampala. It was evident that the Kabaka wields a lot of influence over his subjects
Key Messages: 1. There are various areas of health where traditional and
cultural institutions can play active and crucial roles to support government effort. One such area is in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention through health education, and behavior change communication.
2. Working with cultural institutions and leaders can mitigate the negative socio-cultural issues related to this pandemic
3. It is evident that the Kabaka wields a lot of influence over his subjects and those who look up to him. This level of influence can be leveraged optimally to advance health objectives in these jurisdictions.
4. Cultural functions such as wedding and burial ceremonies offer opportunities for health education on key health issues. Other avenues that can be leveraged for this role a range of mass media platforms including radio stations and television networks which offer immense opportunities for health programming.
5. Institutionalisation of the relationship between the ministry of health and cultural institution can be a good starting point to leverage on support cultural have to promote good health.
Dr. Aloysius SsennyonjoProject manager for the SPEED Project. Aloysius has a broad interest in critical appraisal and analysis of complex health systems and policy issues at global, national and subnational levels.
The PS MOH Dr Diana Atwine shake hands with the Katikiro (Prime Minister) of Buganda, Owek. Peter Mayega at the Kingdom HQs, Mengo recently.
The Supporting Policy Engagement for Evidence-based Decisions (SPEED) for Universal Health Coverage in Uganda is a 5 year partnership supported by European Union that started in 2015. The partnership comprises Makerere University School of Public Health (Lead Agency), Uganda National Health Consumers’ Organization (UNHCO), Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), National Planning Authority (NPA), Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) Antwerp Belgium and Human Science Research Council (HSRC), South Africa.
SPEED Brief
For details about SPEEDMakerere University School of Public Health, College of Health SciencesLevel 3, School of Public Health Building, Mulago Hospital ComplexOffice: Room 323, MakSPH Building Website: speed.musph.ac.ug Email: [email protected]
Tel: +256 772-509316 @SPEED4UHC @SPEED4UHC
and those who look up to him. This level of influence can be leveraged optimally to advance health objectives in these jurisdictions. Fortunately, there are examples to indicate that a lot is being done and any such efforts would not start on an empty slate. For instance, the Kabaka organizes the annual Kabaka Birthday Run that has raised money for sickle cell and fistula campaigns in the country. His Kingdom also has an elaborate apparatus that can be leveraged in several ways. First, cultural functions such as wedding and burial ceremonies offer opportunities for health education on key health issues. Second, “Kabaka’s men and women” can act as good will ambassador and champions for certain causes within the kingdom. Third, the Kingdom and its subjects also have a range of mass media platforms including radio stations and television networks which offer immense opportunities for health programming. Fourth, the Kingdom has development programs and agencies that target poverty alleviation among the subjects to advance holistic wellbeing.
I am using the example of Buganda Kingdom for illustrative purposes. However, there are over 30 traditional and cultural institutions in Uganda that could be leveraged to advance the health agenda in the country. The sustainable development goals (SDGs) agenda requires that attention is paid to all areas of development that have influence on people’s health and wellbeing. It also requires that actions from a range of actors be mobilized to actively advance this agenda. It is good that the Ministry of health as the lead health agency in the country embarks on a purposive effort to reach out to these non-state players to harness their unique potentials and contributions.
Four strategic actions and purposive steps would be vital to this endeavor. First, the recognition of the contributions of these traditional and cultural institutions would greatly motivate them to support
MOH efforts. Secondly, the formalization of these relationships through for instance, memoranda of understanding that specify the areas and modalities of collaboration, and a framework for mutual accountability mutual accountability. Thirdly, institutionalizing these relations through functionalizing structures and process of engagement, for instance by establishing a National Cultural Leaders Forum on Health could be a starting point, or ensuring representation of traditional or cultural institutions in vital health sector governance structures. Finally, creating fora for ongoing deliberation and dialogue is critical to understand challenges and opportunities for collaborative efforts to advance health. Good experiences of working together should be examined to fully draw lessons for the present and the future.
One such fora to share these experiences is the forthcoming Symposium on Partnerships, Policy and Systems developments for Universal Health Coverage. This international symposium is organized under the theme: “Partnerships for Health Improvements Across Governments and Societies at Local, National and Global Levels”. It will take place from 27th to 29th August 2019 at Golf Course Hotel in Kampala. The Symposium is expected to attract participation from a range of constituencies such as government, academia, civil society, cultural and traditional institutions and development partners. Deliberations are expected to cover how partnerships for good health and wellbeing can be developed, nurtured, and supported in Uganda and the African region. All players are critical in promoting good health and wellbeing for all Ugandans. This article was published in the New Vision of Tuesday, August 27, 2019.
Dr Aloysius Ssennyonjo is a Lecturer and the Project Manager, SPEED Project Makerere University School of Public Health.
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