Pitch Project Highlights In Luweero
The District Health Officer, and the District Health Educator together with Public Health Ambassadors Uganda( PHAU), conducted a refresher training of the Health Unit Management Committees(HUMCS) with support from PITCH project in Luweero, and this has yielded recruiting members on committee basing on the guidelines of HUMCS from MOH , mobilization and increased linkage of community people for services at the health facilities, a way of making them functional at the specified health facilities and awareness to the AGYW about their existence, geared at changing the attitudes and perceptions.
PHAU earlier in 2019 ,conducted a citizens report card among the three sub counties of Luwero. It is noted that HUMCs play a vital role when it comes to health centre oversight, and ensuring service delivery reaches the community. 70% of the community had never heard about the HUMCs, clearly demonstrating that the HUMCs aren’t playing their role to warrant being known and felt by citizens. Without functional and vibrant HUMCs, health service delivery at the health centre level is greatly compromised. AGYW can not effectively optimize the HUMCs while engaging for improvement in SRH and HIV/AIDS related service delivery. Therefore, it was important to share information about roles of HUMCs and bring them in contact with citizenry especially during the dialogue engagements.
Referral pathways in the district
In June 2020, Luwero District local government has streamlined the referral pathway for victims faced with Gender based violence , the District Community Development officer, District Health Department and Probation officer during the Partners meeting, committed to implement sustainable activities as a District to fight all forms of violence against AGYW in the community, by creation of sustainable activities such log sheets to track cases of GBV at health facilities and police to prevent duplication and loss of GBV data, this would be the central coordinating point for the Gender based violence cases reported, building on existing structures such as conducting community dialogues, use of media for as as a way of creating sensitization about GBV referral path way to protect AGYW against common forms of abuse and violence.
During Covid 19, increasing cases of GBV were reported in Luwero District ,implementing partners were facing a challenge to follow up cases both at health facility level and police due to missing documentation or data recorded.
As partners they presented the issue during the joint collaborative meetings and the District committee on Adolescent Health. With support from the District Stakeholders, they committed to coordinate and collaborate with Civil Society Organizations and support them to validate the GBV information visa via health facilities and police. Capacity building of the Paralegals and Advocacy champions with support from CEHURD and Pitch Project in Luweero, this resulted into increased knowledge and skills on how to follow up cases of GBV using the referral pathway of GBV, and coordination of the various departments at the District when following up with cases.
Other successes of Pitch Project
In August 2020, as result of the Joint Support Supervision ,the youth friendly corners have been facilitated in their budget by the District to implement school health programs as a way of reaching out to the AGYW, Integration of Adolescent programs in all departments at the health facilities. Kalagala health centre 4 has been supported with edutainment materials from Luwero Health Department, such as a flat screen ,games, to disseminate SRHR information to young people and aimed at attracting the AGYW for increased service delivery.
The participation of the AGYW in the District Health Management meeting, has given the AGYW a platform to front their issues and testimonies to the stakeholders, resulting into entry point at the District to advocate for the other young people. Its through these engagements, Luwero District Local Government has created a small budget for Adolescent activities on Primary Health Care.
