+255-27-254 9362/5/6 regsec@ecsahc.org
Member States

Family health and infectious diseases cluster

About the Programme

Family health is a state of positive interaction between family members which enables each member of the family to enjoy optimum physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being. Under this component ECSA-HC focuses on identification of health policy priorities and content as well as formulation of strategies to improve the following;

Sexual and Reproductive Health
Child Health and Immunization
Gender issues
Infectious diseases

Under this component ECSA-HC focuses on identification of health policy priorities and formulation of strategies to control and manage infectious diseases such as TB; Malaria; HIV/AIDS, Hemorrhagic fevers; Cholera; Dengue and other infectious notifiable diseases.

Goals and Objectives

The ECSA-HC merged the two components into 1 cluster called Family Health and Infectious Diseases, whose goal is to contribute to the attainment of the highest standard of reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health as well as to promote the reduction of communicable diseases in Member States.

Objectives of the cluster are;

  • Support and facilitate Human Resources Capacity development within Family Health and Infectious diseases in Member States
  • Contribute to strengthening implementation of Family Health programmes, including RMNCH in MS
  • Contribute to strengthening implementation of RMNCH and communicable disease programmes in MS
  • Support and Promote Knowledge generation, management and utilization inform policy and programming with family and infectious diseases
  • Support regional coordination for Family Health and Infectious diseases

Progranmme Activities

Key Achievements

HIV/AIDS & TB
Over the years, ECSA has supported countries to address the challenges of HIV/AIDS, TB and MDR TB in the region through the following projects: USAID TB Care I, USAID Challenge TB East Africa and the Global Fund TB Laboratory strengthening Projects with focus on the following areas:

  1. Political advocacy on TB & MDR TB at the Health Ministers’ Conferences level
  2. Policy advocacy including dissemination of policies, guidelines, strategies, tools to TB Experts committee
  3. Monitoring of the implementation of HMC Resolutions and documentation of best practices in TB
  4. Cross border TB control to promote cross-country collaboration and coordination for improved TB control and surveillance across national borders.
  5. Supporting the National TB reference laboratories in 18 countries to improve TB diagnosis
  6. Strengthening PMDT to improve access to second line TB drugs including new drugs and shorter regimens and M/XDR-TB case holding and palliative care.
  7. Supporting capacity building for improved TB Management.

The cluster has also contributed to the body of knowledge in the region through the following publications:

  1. Guidelines for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health for Kenya, Uganda & Lesotho 2004 ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  2. HIV/AIDS Guidelines for Nurses/Midwives and Other Health Care Workers 1999. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  3. Resource mobilization plan for expanded and Comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS and its implication in the ECSA Region 2000. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  4. HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counselling & Testing: Review of Policies, Programs & Guidelines in the ECSA Region ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  5. Assessment of Impact of HIV/AIDS on HRH in the ECSA Region 2005. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  6. HIV & Nutrition: Review of Literature and recommendations for nutritional care and support in the sub Saharan Region ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  7. Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV:
  8. Review of Programs, Policies and guidelines in seven Countries of ECSA Region 2005. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  9. Desk Review on the impact of alcohol on the health, HIV transmission HIV disease progression and treatment compliance and efficacy ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  10. Assessment of the progress of incorporation of HIV/AIDS content into pre-service curricula ECSA Region 2006. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  11. Assessment of the status of TB & HIV/AIDS Collaborative activities in the ECSA Region 2005. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  12. Equity & Quality in HIV/AIDS Prevention, care and support for PLHIV 2002 ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  13. Review of Roles and Functions of National AIDS Councils/Commissions and the Health Sector AIDS Control Programs in the ECSA Region 2002. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  14. Modules on Training of Trainers on HIV/AIDS 2003 ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  15. Nutrition and HIV/AIDS – Pre-service Manual for Nursing and Midwifery. 2003 ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  16. Review of policies, programs and guidelines for the management of TB in HIV service delivery points. Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Ethiopia in 2011 ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  17. Policy on the Management of M/XDRTB Failures in the ECSA Region 2014. ECSA Health Community/USAID TBCARE 1
  18. Strategy on the Cross Border & Regional Programming in TB Prevention & Control 2014 ECSA Health Community/USAID TBCARE 1
  19. Competency based TB Curriculum Outline for Nurses in the ECSA Region ECSA Health Community/USAID TBCARE 1
  20. Integrated Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS, TB & Infectious Diseases 2013. ECSA Health Community/USAID TBCARE 1
  21. Regional Strategy and Plan of Action on TB Commodity & Data Management 2014. ECSA Health Community/USAID SIAPS

Family & Reproductive Health

Over the years, ECSA has supported countries to implement reproductive health, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health policies, strategies and programs. The Key achievements include:

  1. Development of 2 policy documents namely Gender Based and Child Sexual Abuse Policy (GBV/CSA), and Fistula Policy. Five (5) countries (Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Zambia) were supported to adopt/adapt the GBV/CSA policy.
  2. Development of Clinical Guidelines on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). Three (3) countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mauritius) were supported to adopt/adapt the CSA guidelines; Guidelines on the Screening on Intimate Partner Violence.
  3. Assessments on Expanding access to FP/MNCH services at the community level in all the member states; Status of Implementation of LAPM-FP in 3 member states (Lesotho, Malawi and Uganda).
  4. Symposium on mobilizing resources for FP/MNCH services in Malawi, and Swaziland.
  5. Two trainings conducted for all member states on Change process in Arusha and Malawi; Conducted trainer of trainers (ToT) training for scaling-up of best practices in Zimbabwe, for all member states; Successful Youth projects on FP in Zimbabwe, FP project in Lesotho, and FANC in Kenya.
  6. Successful piloting of Mobile solution to improve MNCH using constructive male involvement, in Kenya.

Through the regional work on RMNCAH, the following publications have been produced:

  1. Regional Gender Based Violence and Child Sexual Abuse Policy 2012 ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  2. Standard Practice Package for expanding access to family planning, maternal, newborn and child health services at the community level in ECSA region 2013 ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  3. M-health solution to improve maternal newborn and child health through constructive male partner involvement in Kenya 2014 ECSA Health Community USAID EA
  4. Regional situational analysis report on the status of long acting and permanent methods of family planning 2014. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  5. Strategic Plan for the Family & Reproductive Health 2012-2016 2012 ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  6. Regional Assessment of policies, guidelines, practices and financing of Family
  7. Planning and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health on expanded access to services at the community level 2011 ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  8. Model Fistula Policy for ECSA region 2010. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
    ECSA-HC GBV/CSA Implementation Framework 2009 ECSA Health Community USAID EA
  9. Review of strategies on policies and guidelines on community management of PPH 2010. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  10. Child Sexual Abuse Literature review in Sub Saharan Africa 2010. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  11. Guidelines on Clinical Management of Child Sexual Abuse 2011 ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
  12. Review of guidelines for Active Management Third Stage of Labor in Uganda 2011. ECSA Health Community/USAID EA
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