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●SERIOUS NEED FOR STRATEGIC ADVOCACY & BEHAVIOR CHANGE COMMUNICATION ( SBCC) PLAN FOR Covid 19 PREVENTION
I (Mike Nazombe) went home yesterday to see maize harvest and to supervise some work. My mother told me some people in the village refuse to wash hands let alone use soap because they have heard from some political leaders, that Convid 19 is fake.
I returned late around 10pm and found most pubs open and operating normally, people dancing closely, others tightly. Some pubs had no handwashing facilities. Even in some places where the facilities were provided, I noted only one person washing hands the 20 minutes I was there chatting with the owner of bar who happens to be my primary school classmate. I saw no sanitizers around, no posters. When I called and asked one patron about the Covid 19. I was told bluntly "Corona is not our disease and is fake".I got to town ( Blantyre) and noted that most drinking places were open, and life was as normal as there was no corona virus .
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLEGES?
Politics (ndale), low economic status, and some rooted negative (risk) behavior are the main challenges in fighting Corona virus in Malawi. The former has seen some politicians demonstrating that Convid 19 is not a problem in Malawi and this has encouraged already existing negative behaviour in most of us in terms of knowledge, thinking, attitude, perception, practices as influenced by economic and literacy levels, customary folkways, habits, conduct and the whole range of belief and value systems.
For example, some villagers cannot afford soap. To some people it is childish to greet each other using elbows. Some of us touch face unconsciously while others it's religious habit. Some people cannot drink kachaso while some meters away from their friends for fear of being considered greedy. These are behaviur issues which we cannot change in a day and require formative research and strategic thinking.
WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD?
Government, the opposition and development partners need to come together to support the Ministry of Health develop Advocacy and SBCC strategy. The strategy should engage (1) ADVOCACY - use of leaders, related policies and mandate (at national, district, area devpt and health committees (ADC), village health and development committees (VDC) and family level) and
(2) GROUNDED HUMAN / ANTHROPOLOGICAL approaches through interactive health promotion empowerment meetings and discussions.
The strategy would target specific groups, consider their behaviour change barriers and specify appropriate communication approaches, media, channels theoretical framework, messages, key policies/by- laws, norms, key communicators and implementing partners, time frame; expert advocates, development and SBCC strategists.
It is time we paused, made a stock of what we have done so far, identified the main challenges and solution and strategized ways to save Malawi from the scourge. Tithatu!
(I will appreciate your feedback to this write up including how we can move forward)
I (Mike Nazombe) went home yesterday to see maize harvest and to supervise some work. My mother told me some people in the village refuse to wash hands let alone use soap because they have heard from some political leaders, that Convid 19 is fake.
I returned late around 10pm and found most pubs open and operating normally, people dancing closely, others tightly. Some pubs had no handwashing facilities. Even in some places where the facilities were provided, I noted only one person washing hands the 20 minutes I was there chatting with the owner of bar who happens to be my primary school classmate. I saw no sanitizers around, no posters. When I called and asked one patron about the Covid 19. I was told bluntly "Corona is not our disease and is fake".I got to town ( Blantyre) and noted that most drinking places were open, and life was as normal as there was no corona virus .
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLEGES?
Politics (ndale), low economic status, and some rooted negative (risk) behavior are the main challenges in fighting Corona virus in Malawi. The former has seen some politicians demonstrating that Convid 19 is not a problem in Malawi and this has encouraged already existing negative behaviour in most of us in terms of knowledge, thinking, attitude, perception, practices as influenced by economic and literacy levels, customary folkways, habits, conduct and the whole range of belief and value systems.
For example, some villagers cannot afford soap. To some people it is childish to greet each other using elbows. Some of us touch face unconsciously while others it's religious habit. Some people cannot drink kachaso while some meters away from their friends for fear of being considered greedy. These are behaviur issues which we cannot change in a day and require formative research and strategic thinking.
WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD?
Government, the opposition and development partners need to come together to support the Ministry of Health develop Advocacy and SBCC strategy. The strategy should engage (1) ADVOCACY - use of leaders, related policies and mandate (at national, district, area devpt and health committees (ADC), village health and development committees (VDC) and family level) and
(2) GROUNDED HUMAN / ANTHROPOLOGICAL approaches through interactive health promotion empowerment meetings and discussions.
The strategy would target specific groups, consider their behaviour change barriers and specify appropriate communication approaches, media, channels theoretical framework, messages, key policies/by- laws, norms, key communicators and implementing partners, time frame; expert advocates, development and SBCC strategists.
It is time we paused, made a stock of what we have done so far, identified the main challenges and solution and strategized ways to save Malawi from the scourge. Tithatu!
(I will appreciate your feedback to this write up including how we can move forward)
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