Championing Evidence-Based Advocacy for Primary Health Care (PHC) and Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child & Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N)

This project, led by Prof Fred Were and supported by 4 technical leads, seeks to implore local and county governments to increase investment in PHC/RMCAH+N activities in 15 counties. There are three strategic groups who’s buy-in is essential for optimization of PHC/RMNCAH+N in Kenya; the funders and administers (National and County MOH officials), the providers (health care workers) and the recipients (population). Communicating to these groups requires well synthesized evidence-based information relevant to each group. The Ministry of Health (at the apex of decision making) requires well-articulated policies, the Health Care Workers (HCWs) need easy to use care protocols (often existing but underutilized) while the target populations need to benefit from sufficient impetus in form of public information properly disseminated with understanding of local norms and efficient service delivery following implementation of the said policies.

Most successful comprehensive Primary Health Care (PHC) programmes are as a result of good government policies and legislation for equitable implementation of efficient and cost-effective health care interventions, and have emphasized the need for community and individual participation. Implementation of such successful legislations are often backed by evidence and a slew of advocacy activities with involvement of all relevant stakeholders.

This project will work with these groups to carry out advocacy activities aimed at increasing national and local governments’ ownership of PHC/RMCAH+N programs through increased local funding. This project will amalgamate ideas from and activities by medical professional organizations, relevant civil society, legal fraternity advocates as well as some leading public personalities under the leadership of Keprecon and Kenya Paediatric Association (KPA) to launch a sustainable advocacy movement focused on keeping Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) issues within the visible radar of National and County Governments of Kenya.