Using Faith-Based Assets for Child Survival: CHAN Programs in Nigeria

Using Faith-Based Assets to Improve Child Survival: The Role of Faith Communities in Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Christian Health Association of Nigeria (CHAN) Experiences Presented by Nanle Peter Walman Director of Programmes CHAN January 15, 2015

Overview of CHAN Founded in 1973, CHAN is a faith-based association of 500 Christian Health facilities, 35 schools of nursing and midwifery and other medical training schools in Nigeria o Sustainable, decentralized structure that permeates into hard-to-reach communities. o Mandate of reaching the unreached o Vision: Delivering holistic, efficient and responsive healthcare for all people in Nigeria

CHAN Role in Child Survival Continuum of Care and Human life cycle Christian Health Facilities & training Institutions

CHANs Role in Child Survival Household (Family) Community and Outreach Health Facility Immunisation CHAN Partnership with FMOH and UNICEF Nutrition and micronutrient supplementation Made available - 172,250 Vit A and 1,287 multi Deworming of children from 1-5 years -168250 Home visits Hygiene and sanitation including hand washing education Family health HR for health Capacity building for health staff -e.g. integrated management of childhood illnesses MNCH services Access to care: Christian health facilities ANC/PNC Nutrition Member institutions for health training: Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, Schools of Health Technology - training CHWs Medical colleges And more Developing scriptural texts and sermons on child survival interventions Community and church advocacy and social mobilisation for action Primary health care services to hard to reach communities via mobile services no discrimination Immunisation (FMOH/UNICEF) Health promotion, education and prevention Advocacy initiatives

Using faith-based communication channels to change behaviours and policy environment

CHAN Immunization Case Study Using faith-based asset to improve maternal and Child Survival

CHAN Immunization Case Study CHAN worked with the FMOH and UNICEF on a campaign for Expanded Programme on Immunisation (NPI) o Targets in the MOU were: Children under five years for immunisation 800,000 Pregnant women for Tetanus Toxoid vaccine 200,000 Total Children and Pregnant women 1,000,000

CHAN Immunization Case Study o Implementation strategy included: o Mobilizing religious and community leaders to provide information on rationale and benefits of immunizing children and pregnant women o Mobilizing religious leaders to guide community members to immunization sites by developing a sharing a database of sites with them and coaching them on directing people to the sites nearest them. o Mobilizing and orient health care workers on the vaccination program o Developing and distributing print and radio jingles on the importance of immunization o Training CHAN health staff across the country in each geopolitical zones

CHAN Immunization Case Study Results o 120% achievement was recorded of children and pregnant women who were vaccinated (in one week) o Attributed to the following factors: Involvement of religious leaders and community leaders as gatekeepers - dispelling false beliefs around vaccine & FP Experience in primary health care programme and ability to reach the hard to reach areas with vaccines Infrastructural upgrade of CHAN and its Member institutions in a cold chain system

CHAN Immunization Case Study o As such, the FMOH and UNICEF donated to CHAN additional materials to support routine immunization: Cold box vaccine carriers and refrigerators, equipment and generators for cold room equipped for vaccine storage: oJos for Northern states oImo for Eastern states oIbadan for Western States

CHAN Immunization Case Study Lesson Learnt: oChurch leaders are movers and shakers that if well mobilized can make interventions effective and sustainable oTapping into a Church capillary system is a sustainable way for reaching the smallest unit of the society

CHAN Case Study 2: Using faith-based assets to change policy environment

CHAN Advocacy with Church Leaders to increase Government involvement and support Problem statement: Health facilities are limited or do not exist in hard-to- reach areas and CHAN mission health facilities fill a gap; however, because they remote, there is limited awareness and a lack of funding to maintain them. Objective : To train members and Church leaders in advocacy to increase funding for critical care. o Renovate and equip of hospitals o Improve schools of Nursing and Midwifery, which were on the verge of closure o Strengthen HR for health facilities,

CHAN Advocacy with Church Leaders to increase Government involvement and support Outcome: Budgetary allocation for mission health facilities - Over 5 billion naira from the government of Anambra state between 2007 to 2014. o 22 well equipped ambulances o Renovations to 3 colleges of nursing and midwifery o Construction of access roads to the hospitals and other health facilities o Construction of new chest units and renovation of existing structures o Posting of specialized health staff to hospitals at the expense of government All these were made possible because the different church leaders from different denominations cooperated and worked together.

Experience of using the I- Kit for SBCC programming

Using the HC3 I-Kit for SBCC programming A rich, practical and context-related guide Inclusion of religious text and developing of sermons for religious leaders The guide roadmap and its content allow for: o Simulation and adaptation o Participation by different stakeholders o Stimulating leaders and faith communities to take action o Educating the different stakeholders that have level of influence on child survival CHAN developed its 5-year strategic plan on SBCC for optimal breastfeeding using the I-Kit

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