Authored by: Walter Flores, Silvia Sánchez and Julia Delgado the article ‘Generating Evidence for Accountability and Social Mobilisation, through Community Ethnographers’ explores a participatory-action research initiative of the Centre for the Study of Equity and Governance in Health Systems (CEGSS), a civil society organisation based in Guatemala. The participatory-action research exercise highlights the use of audio-visual tools for monitoring of public health policies and healthcare services in 37 rural municipalities of Guatemala to develop capacities of marginalised citizens.
Authored by Barbara Kaim et.al the article ‘Strengthening Community Focused Primary Health Care –Oriented Approaches to Social Accountability and Action’ highlights experiences of participatory reflection and action (PRA) through the medium of two case studies from Tanzania and Zimbabwe respectively. It reflects that access to resources and uptake of services at Primary health care level need both an informed and organised community, as well as a willing authority to cooperate, engage and act upon community health concerns.
The
article by Dr Abhijit Das, CHSJ briefly surmises the overview of COPASAH member
practitioners’ efforts towards Community based Accountability practices across
several countries for increasing people’s participation including demand for public
services, improving program efficiency as well as promoting public program
accountability, through active citizenship and Peer Learning.
Pakistan
being a developing country has a large number of poor population due to which
people jump up to any opportunity that guarantees money. The profession of
domestic workers is one of them. Approximately 8.5 million informal domestic
workers, including Men, women and children, even under the age of 14 or 60
above works as personal maids and servants to the privileged class of our
society to make both ends meet. However, the wages earned is not enough for
their survival in this rapidly increasing inflation.
The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) and Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC) in Zimbabwe have been advocating for the formalisation of Health Centre Committees (HCCs), giving them a legal status through a statutory instrument. Many countries are facing similar issues with regards to the HCCs where there are policy commitments without statutory guidelines, adequate training/capacity building support, and civil society involvement in the constitution and functioning of the committees. Please find attached CWGH's experience in Zimbabwe to address these deficits towards making HCCs a space for local engagement and decision making by the people.