ADVOCATING FOR POLICY CHANGE By Dr Ali Mzige Director, AMM INTERNATIONAL REPRODUCTIVE AND CHILD HEALTH CLINIC

FOR YOUR INFORMATION WE CAN should work effectively with governments to improve legislation and funding for cancer: “ Health Policy refers to decisions, plans and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society. An explicit health policy can achieve several things: it defines a vision for the future which in turn helps to establish.”

There is need to Develop a Selected Screening Schedule if can be followed just like Vehicle Inspection Targets and points of reference for the short and medium term. CDC defines “ policy” as a law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, incentive or voluntary practice of government and other institutions. Policy decisions are frequently reflected in resource allocations

YOUR INSPECTION BLOOD SUGARMammogram

Advocating for Policy Change Many national strategies plans and initiatives can be influenced by public health policies like alcohol and tobacco control policies if in place and regulated by law. Since we are dealing with cancer let us visit our Cs for Advocating for Policy Change: Working effectively with governments to improve legislation and funding for Cancer.

Continuation ….. PAP SMEAR CHECK UP AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE YES! Very Ideal But Where And When For Policy Change

Advocating for Policy Change C for coverage is it for all women at what age and if national then the coverage is Universal and it will be a public good C for commitment: financial commitment must also be political the Head of State and all leaders C for Community involvement must be informed involved and must show community ownership

continuation …… C for Cooperation with other agencies in order to advocate for policy change the government cannot do it alone. C for coordination it is the work of the government to do the exercise at national level, regional, district, ward level, village and at community level.

Continuation ….. C forComprehensive budget plans and strategies must be put in place at all service delivery points if possible all SOPs Standard Operating Procedures in simple Kiswahili must be posted on the wall. New inventions/interventions like HPV vaccine must be socially marketed and introduced and accepted to allay fears/anxieties

continuation ….. C forChallenges for the Advocacy for policy change must be analyzed in the form of SWOT in relation what works or why did it not work. C forContinuity of Health Care Management Teams must exist as team work and not as RHMT/DHMT Clubs the mimi Syndrome must be thwarted C forCapacity building must be established in terms of supervision, financial management program management monitoring and evaluation as pre requisite for Advocating for Policy Change.

Our daughters mothers of the future need HPV Vaccine as early as from 10 years old – Please Policy Change HPV Vaccine

Family Issues Husband and Wife “Communication starts from the bedroom to the boardroom.” The couple must discuss about cervical cancer screening. Communication has triple IEC- Inspiration Empowerment and Confidence, Information Education and Communication, Informative Entertaining and Convincing that the policy change will leave no bed sheet unwashed it must be as white as cotton.

STRESS AND DEPRESSION a Silent Killer!!

Message Taken Home While embarking and working for advocating for Policy Change one needs to look into constraints: working effectively with the governments to improve legislation and funding identify all the constraints: “Human resource must be creative and innovative with task shifting. The role of the Government will be to take the leadership position in line with good governance.

Message Sent Home Men who smoke will stop smoking because of impotence and not heart attack or cancer People are worried of diabetes for fear of amputation but smoking also may cause gangrene of the foot just like diabetes There is need to get the message across for change of lifestyle because alcohol has 60 diseases and tobacco has 40 diseases.

Still Advocating for Policy Change Dear colleagues I need all of you including myself to take note that I cannot spell SUCCESS without U Success has many fathers but failure is always an ORPHAN. Nothing succeeds like SUCCESS. Advocating for Policy Change must not be an ORPHAN GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!

LIFESTYLE TREND STOP DRINKINGSTOP SMOKING

I Thank You!!!