Medicines Transparancy Alliance workshop in N/Western and C/B Provinces August 2013, Lusaka 22 October 2013, Kabwe 18 July 2014 and Livingstone 28 July 2014 Basic Advocacy Banza Chela (Mr.)

ADVOCACY materials for presentation highly based on the Aids & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA) Advocacy Training manual that could be down loaded by following link

Purpose of presentation To give participants: Information on advocacy and the use of advocacy in access to essential medicines Opportunity to identify advocacy issues in the District with regards to MeTA objectives. The opportunity to develop advocacy plans on access to essential medicines within their localities

Discussion point 1 What is your understanding of Advocacy? Exercise to be completed in pairs among participants Responses to be shared with plenary

Meaning??? Advocacy means working for change. Advocacy involves actions aimed at changing the policies and practices. For example, people living with HIV and AIDS may take actions for better health care, to improve their lives.

Discussion point 2 What is advocacy all about? Exercise to be completed in pairs among participants Responses to be shared with plenary

What is it all about??? Advocacy activities may take different forms, such as: -Speaking to decision makers to persuade them to change policies and programmes; -Taking mass action (for example, going on a march) to challenge decision makers to solve a problem; and -Bringing court cases to challenge laws and policies

Discussion point 4 What do you think needs to be taken into consideration when planning to do advocacy? Exercise to be completed in pairs among participants Responses to be shared with plenary

What is an advocacy plan? An advocacy plan is a plan of action that: -Describes the problem; -Sets out the changes that are needed to deal with the problem and how best to bring about this change. An advocacy plan starts with an advocacy agenda, and is followed by an advocacy strategy

Advocacy Agenda To develop an advocacy agenda you need to: -Select a problem that needs to be addressed; -Research the problem; -Identify the main issues; and -Identify the objectives of an advocacy campaign

Advocacy Strategy To prepare an advocacy strategy you need to identify: -Who has the power to change the problem, as they will be the targets of your campaign; -The resources that will be needed for the campaign; -Possible collaborators who could support the campaign; -The actions or activities that will be undertaken

Discussion point 5 * Please Identify advocacy issues in the District with regards to MeTA objectives. * draw up a short ‘advocacy plan’ applying what you have learnt today on how you could best engage your local leaders on issues around access to medicines… Exercise to be completed in pairs among participants Responses to be shared with plenary

The End!!! Thank you for your participation

Banza Chela (Mr.)