Inter-sectoral coordination and social mobilization

1. Inter-sectoral coordination and social mobilization IDSP training module for state and district surveillance officers Module 12

2. Learning objectives (1/2) • Describe the strategies and action plan to mobilize community participation • Describe surveillance activities related to existing vertical disease control programmes at the district level to facilitate integration

3. Learning objectives (2/2) • Describe the strategies and action plan to mobilize community participation • Describe surveillance activities related to existing vertical disease control programmes at the district level to facilitate integration

4. Coordination • The process of linking the activities of various departments of an organization • The process by which managers achieve integrated patterns of group and individual effort • i.e., Develop unity of action in common purposes • The integration, synchronization or orderly patterning of group efforts by an organization towards the accomplishment of common goals or objectives

5. Cooperation and collaboration • Cooperation • Collective effort put willingly and voluntarily by a group in the performance of any work • No time quality or directional framework • Collaboration • The joint conduct of programme or project • Emphasizes the sharing of similar responsibilities on the basis of an agreement

6. Inter-sectoral versus intra-sectoral coordination • Intra-sectoral coordination • Coordination within an organization between its various subsystems and units or agents • Inter-sectoral coordination • Coordination with non-health organizations, sectors or agencies to achieve goals

7. Intra-sectoral coordination • The final common pathway • Grass root level • Same people conduct surveillance for various programmes and agencies • From district level onwards • Information goes through various channels • Integration of surveillance activities from various programmes • One of the primary objectives of the programme • Key determinant of sustainability

8. Inter-sectoral coordination • Various health and non-health departments need to share information generated by the surveillance mechanisms • Need for effective sharing of information on surveillance with all stakeholders • Health department • Other governmental and non-governmental agencies

9. Stakeholders • Medical officer of primary health centres • Sentinel private practitioners • Community representatives • District • All members of the district surveillance unit • State • All members of the state surveillance unit

10. Aim of the social mobilization campaign • Create awareness among: • Partners • Private practitioners • Non governmental organizations • Community • Establish an institutional mechanism to involve community and their leaders • Rotating membership in: • District surveillance committee • Block surveillance committee

11. Strategizing communication • Adapt message and format to the audiences • Consider all media • Electronic media • Press • Hoardings • Handbills • Posters • Inter-personal communication through health providers

12. Feedback strengthens effective inter-sectoral and intra-sectoral coordination • Sharing of information with all stakeholders • Share regular reports at the state and district levels • Make available on line / electronically

13. Community stakeholders • Persons to involve • Anybody who can provide information on the possible occurrence of the diseases • School teacher, informal community leader • Ways to involve community representatives • Share information (Feedback) • Obtain information (Listen)

14. Being close from the community • People volunteer in areas where health workers enjoy a good relationship with their communities • Individual initiatives taken by enthusiastic health staff make a difference • Key contacts • Village elders’ • Ladies • Pradhan (Village head) • Panchayat members • Chowkidar (Village guard)

15. Socio-cultural issues • Socio-cultural barriers and gender disparities may influence the sensitivity of data collected • Religious minorities may distrust the public sector • Urban clients in high rise may not use public system • Poor may feel neglected in the public sector • Social mobilization campaign need to address all these socio-cultural beliefs

16. Engaging medical colleges • Responsibility of the state surveillance unit • Memoranda of understanding • Selection of a coordinating medical college by the Director of Medical Education • Facilitation by the health secretary • Possibility for medical colleges to work in urban surveillance • Contacts at the central level will facilitate these synergies

17. Institutional Integrated Disease Surveillance Project sub-committee within medical colleges • Principal / superintendent • Report to Integrated Disease Surveillance Project • Community medicine • Medicine • Pediatrics • Chest and tuberculosis • Microbiology • Cardiology

18. Additional potential roles of medical colleges • Reference laboratories • Quality assurance and evaluation • Training • Outbreak investigations • In collaboration with the district surveillance officer / medical officer • Non communicable disease risk factor surveillance

19. Qualities required for coordination • Leadership • Effective communication • Ability to mobilize people and resources • Ability to recognize and acknowledge input

20. Example: Stakeholders involved to respond to an outbreak of hepatitis E

21. Points to remember (1/3) • IDSP is a new initiative that requires integration and coordination within and between different departments • All surveillance activities will need to be coordinated under the district surveillance officer • Inter-sectoral coordination is perhaps the biggest challenge in implementation of the programme

22. Points to remember (2/3) • The sustainability of the programme depends on the extent of inter-sectoral and intra-sectoral coordination • People’s participation is key to: • Complete coverage • Timely reporting • Integrated and coordinated surveillance will: • Pooling / share resources • Avoid wastage / improve efficiency • Ensure quality and sustainability

23. Points to remember (3/3) • The medical officer / district surveillance officer will need to use the inter-departmental coordination committee to bring up: • Positive products of the cooperation • Non-action / non-reporting • The leadership, commitment and communication skills of the medical officer / district surveillance officer will be critical