Transparency for Development, CSO’s set to improve Maternal &Newborn Health Care in Kailahun

Transparency for Development (T4D) in collaboration with it partners (WASH-Net and MOPDA including the Media) has ended 3 day comprehensive interface meeting with community stakeholders and staff and volunteers from different health posts and centers in Kailahun District.

Giving an over view of the project to partners at the MOPDA Office in  Bo,   JesicaCreiton from the Harvad School of Governance underscored the importance of having a  community-led transparency and accountability process in improving health  in most deprive, hard to reach areas and riverline areas.

She said the focus of the project is to address the many challenges faced by patient especially women and children in accessing health care services including maternal and newborn health.

She furthered  that the T4D  is on it  its Phase II  project and it will involve information gathering, identification of community activities, scored card meeting,  social action planning meeting,  open [public meetings,  social action carried out and  followed up meeting.

She noted that Phase II intervention will take the Phase I model as a base, and make modifications aiming to increase government responsiveness to local service delivery problems and citizens demand.  

She added that they are going to work with CSOs' partners to cultivate buy-in from district-level government in intervention areas, in form of partnership.

 She added that in the phase II model they will seek to improve outcomes and transparency and accountability by triggering greater government responsiveness, include citizen empowerment and engagement as part of the intervention. She said the 5 villages per country will be involved in 6-9 months period.

   Welcoming the Team in Bo,    the Executive Director for Movement for Peace and Development, Patrick Momoh paid special thanks to WASH-Net for Linking his organization to T4D. 

He gave a detailed background of his organization and the intervention done so far in terms of service delivery in governance, child health, WASH and   women’s right.

He recalled the long outstanding good relation that has existed between MAPDA and WASH-Net in exchanging ideas, views and other important consultations relating to different aspect of the project implementation in the area of health, governance, WASH, women’s, child right , human right hard and soft service delivery and advocacy.

Patrick Momoh also cited the various international agencies they have worked since they started as a community based organization and they are operating in Bo, Pujehun, Kailahun, Kenema and now moving to Moyamba and other part of the country.

 The Director used the forum to asked the T4D as to how can community people sustain the project after the life sperm,   looking at the time duration of the implementation.

He said for effective service delivery in every implementation, time and sustainability is of great importance.

In his contributions,   the Founder/ Chairman of WASH-Net, Musa Ansumanasoko lauded the effort of T4D, MOPDA and WASH-Net for coming together for the implementation of the project.

He said the project aims to improve on human health especially for women and children.  

He pointed out the various challenges people are facing in accessing health service in deprived communities. 

He noted that with partnership and effective collaboration from the CSOs and the media including the community people with support from T4D, the general and specific goals can be achieved.