• Group photo after Opening ceremony of the Regional Policy Dialogue on HWF in Accra Ghana todayGroup photo after Opening ceremony of the Regional Policy Dialogue on HWF in Accra Ghana today
  • Miami International Conference on the Future of Health Professionals Education ended as great success. With champions Chen Frenk Evans Fineberg Garcia and OmaswaMiami International Conference on the Future of Health Professionals Education ended as great success. With champions Chen Frenk Evans Fineberg Garcia and Omaswa
  • ACHEST and Board Memebers bid farewell Carol Natukunda the out-going Communication SpecialistACHEST and Board Memebers bid farewell Carol Natukunda the out-going Communication Specialist
  • ACHEST Staff take a photo during the send off of Imamura Mariko the JICA oficialACHEST Staff take a photo during the send off of Imamura Mariko the JICA oficial
  • Prof. Francis Omaswa with members of the Uganda Medical Association and medical interns after meeting President Museveni in June 2021.v1Prof. Francis Omaswa with members of the Uganda Medical Association and medical interns after meeting President Museveni in June 2021.v1
  • HEPI SYMPOSIUM  Makerere2HEPI SYMPOSIUM Makerere2
  • ACHEST Staff pose for a group Photo after the first face-to-face meeting after COVID-19ACHEST Staff pose for a group Photo after the first face-to-face meeting after COVID-19
  • JICA 2 Agreement Assigning at ACHEST OfficesJICA 2 Agreement Assigning at ACHEST Offices
  • ACHEST Ministry of Health and Director Mulago hospital during the launch of the Intern Hand BookACHEST Ministry of Health and Director Mulago hospital during the launch of the Intern Hand Book
  • With AFREHEALTH and ECSAWith AFREHEALTH and ECSA
  • Group photo after the Opening ceremony of the Regional Policy Dialogue on HWF in Accra Ghana.
  • Miami International Conference on the Future of Health Professionals Education ended as a great success. With champions Chen Frenk Evans Fineberg Garcia and Omaswa.
  • ACHEST and Board Members bid farewell to Carol Natukunda the out-going Communication Specialist
  • ACHEST Staff take a photo during the send-off of Imamura Mariko the JICA official
  • Prof. Francis Omaswa with members of the Uganda Medical Association and medical interns after meeting President Museveni in June 2021.
  • HEPI SYMPOSIUM Makerere2
  • ACHEST Staff pose for a group photo after the first face-to-face meeting after COVID-19
  • JICA 2 Agreement Assigning at ACHEST Offices
  • ACHEST Ministry of Health and Director Mulago hospital during the launch of the Intern Hand Book
  • With AFREHEALTH and ECSA

Welcome to ACHEST

  1. ......

The African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST) is an initiative promoted by a network of African and international leaders in health and development. It is an independent Think Tank and a network.

There is now abundant evidence to show that past and current efforts at identifying and implementing solutions that are handed down from outside and are not rooted in the history and culture of Africa have faced some difficulties.

Ownership of these solutions by African countries and populations has repeatedly failed to take root and as the result such solutions have not achieved their full potential and, in some cases, they have done more harm than good.

At continental and country level, ACHEST aspires to strategically promote and advocate for the use of well grounded knowledge and evidence to strengthen professionals and build institutional capacity that will provide transformational leadership to African communities, countries and the world.

ACHEST applies constructive and targeted strategic communication at all levels to catalyze the needed behavior change that will result in stronger ownership and implementation capacity for proven interventions and better health for Africa's people.

To achieve this, ACHEST will forge strategic alliances and partnerships with individuals and organizations within Africa and around the world.

On March 10th 2022, the African Center for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST) and partners JICA Uganda hosted the stakeholders conference to mark the end of the project on Community Engagement Strategy (CES)for COVID-19 Response.

Launched in October 2020 by the Uganda government, CES has been implemented by ACHEST and JICA in four pilot districts namely, Ngora, Amuru, Busia and Mukono, to strengthen community health system as a key measure to control the pandemic.

 The goal of CES is that all people are aware, empowered and are participating actively in the prevention and control of COVID-19, both as a duty and a right.

A group photo of some of the participants at the conferenceA group photo of some of the participants at the conference

Using the  existing district health structures, the CES Project has helped the capacity of District Task Force, Sub-county, Parish and  Village COVID Task Forces(VCTFS). The main focus was the VCTFs under the leadership of LC1, including, VHTs, cultural and religious leaders, other sectors; to engage with communities to identify and design Covid-19 responses and other local solutions to health and social problems.

The Village Health Teams(VHTs) were  equipped with bicycles, smartphones and backpacks containing: a reflector jacket, thermometer, Village Health Register, referral forms, first aid box, umbrella, sanitizers, and water bottle. They were also paid a monthly allowance .  Under the CES project, VHTs   mapped and numbered all households they visited and maintained a Village Health Register containing a record of the health status of members of households. They discussed and shared  information with the families and advocate for health-seeking behavior, home cleanliness and hygiene.  They worked in close collaboration with the health facilities and other sectors and actors such as cultural and religious leaders, community development and agriculture extension staff and parish chiefs.

This inspired community ownership and participation– the communities held  dialogues to deliberate on finding local solutions to the issues affecting them.

During the day long stakeholders conference hosted at Hotel Africana in Kampala, district representatives shared the key lessons and recommendations learnt from the eight month period that the project has been under implementation.

Notably, the pilot districts registered improvement in managing and control of  COVID-19 control, as well as other health indicators such as hygiene, antenatal care and immunization among others. There were less cases of hygiene related illnesses. It was observed that communities are capable of owning and taking responsibility for their health including achieving Social Cohesion.

 A key recommendation was that VHTs should be equipped, trained, supervised and paid as a central pillar in community health.

Moving forward, the ACHEST ED  underscored the need to institutionalize the CES project in development plans would ensure a long-lasting impact.

The JICA representative said they recognize the effectiveness of VHTs in the community health system as a yardstick to achieve Universal Health Coverage in Uganda. “It is evident that CES has had a positive impact,” she remarked

An official from the Ministry of Local Government acknowledged the role of VHTs and promised to take this up for discussion so that they are incorporated in the implementation of Uganda’s newly launched Parish Development Model.

Present at the conference were the district Local Government Chairpersons, CAOs, RDCs, District health officials, health educators, VHTs and the media. In addition, there were also representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Uganda Red Cross.

A detailed report on the outcomes of CES will be shared nationally, regionally and internationally.
END