“It was one of the most effective training programmes I have attended.”
Arun Kumar, TB Alert, India
Header Photo: WHO/TBP/Davenport
Building Citizen Advocacy in India
India training - building skills and capacity to influence change
A TB Advocacy Training to help build the advocacy capacity for TB, TB-HIV and MDR-TB amongst key national civil society groups in India was held from 10-13 February, 2009 at the Habitat Centre in Delhi. Delivered by the Advocacy Partnership in collaboration with the Indian NGO TB Consortium and with funding from the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership programme, this four-day participatory training informed, challenged and built confidence to scale up personal, organisational and coalition skills in TB advocacy.
Seventeen people from 12 different organisations participated in over 15 workshops that included “What is Advocacy”, “Building a local TB Patient Network into an Advocacy Tool”, “Building Powerful Relationships with MPs and High-Level Decision-Makers” and “Meetings that Work”.
Through interactive training sessions and shared learning, trainers Sheila Davie and Paul Thorn provided an opportunity for advocates to develop practical and relevant advocacy skills, with the aim of generating greater commitment, and ultimately resources, for TB control at local, district and national levels. The training culminated in two mock meetings using the skills developed during the training - a press conference and a meeting with a high-level decision-maker - in order to gain insight into what it takes to have effective meetings, and demonstrate how by working together as a team advocacy efforts can be enhanced. The final sessions involved identifying and making initial plans for advocacy work over the coming year.
For more information on the India training and further trainings offered by the Advocacy Partnership contact the project Director Sheila Davie, sheiladavie@advocacypartnership.org. Tel: 44 1926 430 729. Mobile: 44 7768 471298. Skype: sheiladavie.
India advocacy plans
The three specific areas for TB advocacy identified were:
- Increasing participation of private medical practitioners from 10% - 20% by 2010.
- Formation of one patient group in each district by Dec 2009.
- Accessibility to diagnostic treatment facilities in each state: basic services in difficult to reach states (360 sec) and higher end facilities (35 IRLs).
Groups were formed around these three areas for development of an advocacy plan.
India in action
Following the training individuals and organisations are working to develop their advocacy work, including events and meetings held and media generated. Further advocacy work in India can be found at the Partnership for TB Care and Control in India web site at: www.tbpartnershipindia.org/default.asp
