Mayor Langkuno addressing the participants of the Paglat Community Health Summit
CHPP Initiatives
During the two-year partnership, the cohort of leaders will undergo a series of training workshops every six months, after which they will work on identified health interventions that are required to improve health indicators in their respective communities. As part of building their capability to conceptualize, implement, monitor, evaluate and possibly expand and replicate innovative health programs and services, the training design also allows the participants to apply leadership and management concepts they have learned from the Foundation’s training programs.
Using data culled from community health surveys conducted among participating municipalities, the Foundation helped facilitate multi-sectoral understanding and action on the individual community’s major health issues. To promote community ownership and ensure sustainability, each of the participating municipalities developed its own community health action plan. A menu of possible interventions that are based on identified needs and priorities was drawn up and assessed. These include, but are not limited to, the provision of health infrastructure, continuing medical education, disaster preparedness and risk management, reform in drug procurement systems, and access to inexpensive quality medicines. Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are incorporated thoughout the process, and best practices are shared and replicated in other communities.
To ensure the engagement of other stakeholders in the municipality, the leaders formed or strengthened local health boards as core groups composed of representatives of other sectors in the community, such as the Sangguniang Bayan or Municipal Council, health workers, socio-civic organizations, and educational institutions, among others. The core groups enriched the health action plan and ensured the participation of other sectors in the implementation of health-related interventions. The process of disseminating information about the plan, getting support from the community, and engaging other stakeholders culminated in a Community Health Summit, where the health action plan was presented to the community for adoption.