Consolidating processes for community – health centre partnership and accountability in Zambia

In 2006 a team representing Zambia Equity Gauge and Lusaka District Health Board carried out a pilot project using a participatory reflection and action (PRA) approach in two districts of Zambia. The pilot was targeted at health providers and community health volunteers from two health centers from each district, and aimed to strengthen community-health centre partnership and accountability. This paper shows how this study revealed positive change in the attitude of health workers towards community members. They now viewed them as necessary & valuable partners, and increased health worker to health worker information sharing, as health workers were just as likely to be misinformed as community members.

The paper explains how this initial pilot study was carried out and then a second round of research was implemented. This aimed to consolidate the participatory approaches initiated in 2006 and further enhance the community voice in planning, budgeting and implementation of activities at Health Centre (HC) and community level. The researchers also aimed to extend the process to two new HCs for deeper understanding of what works in strengthening the confidence of communities to speak out on health issues that affect them. The paper describes how a more effective participation by community members in the process was observed. In addition the research highlighted a strengthened communication and information exchange between and amongst community members and health workers on action in health, and on the availability and utilisation of the health resources at the HCs.