Community Empowerment as a Tool for Health Promotion

Community Empowerment as a tool for health promotion Anesu Mbalenhle Sibanda12, Professor Mary E. Tazanios MD OB-GYN 3, Professor Nikolaos Tzenios Ph.d 4, Charisma university ,Kursk State University

What is Community Empowerment? The common definition of empowerment in health care is a process that allows people to gain greater control over the decisions and actions that affect their lives. Community empowerment enables communities to increase control over their lives. In essence, people within a community (be it those within a certain geographical area or those that identify as a community because of similar lifestyles, common interests, common concerns, or identities) gain power over decisions with an influential part of their lives. Community empowerment re-negotiates power to gain more control.

Tasks of community empowerment As indicated in the definition it allows the community to take control over their own lives It initiates change (a positive change) Mobilize and use resources Obtain services that address health care within the community counters health risk behaviours or conditions

Community development Community competence Community capacity Community organization Community empowerment Community building Community mobilization

Community-based organizations include groups, committees, cooperatives, and associations which are the organizational elements in which people come together to socialize and to address their broader concerns. Community organizations provide the opportunity for their members to gain the skills and competencies necessary to allow them to move towards achieving health outcomes Resource mobilization The ability of the community to mobilize resources from within and negotiate resources from beyond itself is an indication of a developed organizational ability. Community competence -competence (also competency) - the ability to do something successfully or efficiently; the scope of a person's or group's knowledge or ability; a skill or ability. Community building is directed toward the creation or enhancement of community among individuals within a regional area or with a common need or interest. It is often encompassed under the fields of community organizing, community organization, community work, and community development. Community capacity focuses on enabling all members of the community to develop skills and competencies so as to take greater control of their own lives and also contributes to inclusive local development.

2nd 2nd ; This involves making way into the community . -recognise the issue -organizes people or participants. Participants are categorised as ; Executive, active , occasional, supporting 1ST ; 3 categories are includes being; -locality development -social planning -social action 4th ; -implements the plan -evaluate the outcomes of the plan -maintain the outcomes in the community 3rd ; Map the capacity of the community by : -Assessment of the needs -determining the priorities and setting goals -arriving at a solution and selecting interventions

Processes of community empowerment Assessment Planning Strategies for implementation Evaluation Community assessment A community needs assessment identifies the strengths and resources available in the community to meet the needs of members of the identified community. A selection of approaches is used and could either be a community needs based solution or an assets based approach The Dimensions of health and community indicators would be the quality of life indicators and the provocative indicators In summary the assessment focuses on the capabilities of the community

Planning process In planning specific targets of change are identified . As we are dealing with a community at large ,not just individuals we make use of team building to encourage member participation and commitment. Stages of team building include ; -forming -storming -norming -performing

Strategies for implementation Implementation strategies, defined as a systematic intervention process to adopt and integrate evidence-based health innovations into usual care. The powerful element of community empowerment is that it recognizes that if some people are going to be empowered, then others will be sharing their existing power and giving some of it up . A common example of strategy implementation is media advocacy that makes use of mass media to advance a health agenda . Media advocacy shifts the focus from the personal to the community /collective level.It blends communications, science, politics, and advocacy to advance community health goals. In essence it focuses on the factors contributing to issues of concern .

Evaluation It is a systematic method for collecting, analysing, and using data to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the community health program. It is a systematic way to improve and account for public health actions by involving procedures that are useful, feasible, ethical, and accurate. A partnership approach is taken for evaluation and it engages those within the community with an interest in all aspects .

Steps of Evaluation Take stock of the community status ,the resources ,capacities, challenges and programs. Set goals for evaluation develop evaluation strategies Document evaluation process/findings

Summary Empowerment is seen to enhance individual competence and self-esteem which, in turn, increase perceptions of personal control which has a direct effect on improving health outcomes. Empowerment is generally viewed as a process beginning with individual action and then the development of small mutual groups, community organizations, partnerships, and ultimately social and political actions.

Thank you References; https://www.who.int/teams/health-promotion/enhanced- wellbeing/seventh-global-conference/community-empowerment https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5554943/ http://www.bioline.org.br/pdf?hn06016 Lecture notes