Building the capacities of civil society organizations, in partnership with government
TDDA is working with the government to build the capacities of civil society organizations (CSOs) so that they can support national health security plans, the COVID-19 response and vaccine rollout. Our partner in this work is the Ivorian Director General of Health of the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage.
In a pandemic, CSOs can be an invaluable additional resource. Many already act as trusted local sources of information and advice about health matters. This means that, with the right training, they are well-placed to engage with communities in support of national health security initiatives. Now, with the COVID-19 crisis, we need to ensure people understand the risks posed by the disease, and counter any rumours or misinformation that could make people reluctant to be vaccinated.
To help unlock this potential, TDDA assisted the government to develop and run a capacity-building workshop, which took place from 9-13 August. A total of 38 participants attended the training, including 30 participants from 21 targeted CSOs, selected on the basis of their existing or potential capabilities to work in health security.
The opening session was chaired by the General Health Deputy Director, Mr. Koné Blaise, who remarked that health security requires the involvement of all. Other high-profile participants included representatives from the Ministry of Animal and Fishery Resources and Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
Adapted to the specific needs of Côte d’Ivoire, the training objectives were to:
Introduce participants to the concepts of health security and One Health – the approach which coordinates strategies and actions across human, animal and environmental health.
Equip CSOs with information on the national COVID-19 response strategy and vaccine roll-out plan.
Support participants to develop their own strategy for engaging communities, communicating risks and overcoming vaccine hesitancy.
TDDA will now provide funding and technical support to pilot projects, to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. We hope this initiative provides the basis for fruitful collaboration between government and CSOs now and in the future.