Advocacy for the Health Workforce: A key approach in expanding access to family planning

International Conference on Family Planning Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 2013

Patrick Mugirwa, Programme OfficerPartners in Population and Development

Africa Regional Office (PPD ARO)

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PPD ARO is part and parcel of the global South-South collaboration in RH/FP, P&D

• Southern-led

• Southern -run

• Presence in 14 African member countries

Four focus areas

1. Funding and policy advocacy

2. Accountability for SRHR commitments

4. Good practice transfer through

South-South cooperation

3. Networking and strategic partnerships

Some of the achievements….• NEAPACOH priority

areas: family planning, HRH, maternal health and health financing

• Increased funding for FP/RH

• Enabling policy environment for FP/RH

• FP/RH high level leadership in Africa 4

2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/140

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Advocacy at work: Example of Uganda’s funding for FP/RH commodities – allocation versus expenditure

How PPD ARO has approached its advocacy for FP/RH including Human Resources for Health (HRH)

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Advocacy approach that has worked

• Evidence: Essential but insufficient to cause policy action

• Strategic partnerships around a common objective

• Focused and targeted interventions guided by Spitfire SMART Chart

• Local ownership and policy maker centric

Advocacy approach that has worked

• Shared workplan

• Credible messengers

• Building on existing opportunities

• Regular meetings

• In country follow ups and backstopping

Challenges

1. Policymakers have goals (e.g. social, financial, electoral)

2. Policymakers often move at a different speed because of different backgrounds (e.g. education, profession, experiences and capacities)

3. High turn over of legislators due to term limits and changes in elected representatives

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1. Facilitating and working with policymakers is an investment worth undertaking.

2. Investing in a critical mass of RH/FP champions yields results

3. Advocacy approach using Spitfire SMART Chart tools works miracles

4. Working through strong partnerships and cross-sector collaborations with national, regional and international organisations presents us with a wide range of opportunities

5. Advocacy is not necessarily a long-term process but should be backed by coherent short-term action plans that deliver short- term goals and objectives.

Looking at the past: What have we learned?

Thank You.11