Digital Health for Epidemic Control of TB/ HIV-SmartCare Plus ZAMBIA - Institute for Health Measurement Southern Africa

ZAMBIA

The organization works to strengthen health systems for public health programs in Southern Africa. SmartCare Plus is a digital health application that is developed, scaled-up and maintained by IHM on behalf of the Zambian Ministry of Health and funded by the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC). It is an Electronic Health Record which supports all aspects of the Zambian Public Health Services, providing the Zambian Ministry of Health with access to the population’s health data for health management. The initiative started in 2003 as a solution to the challenges with monitoring child birth for pregnant women in rural Zambia and only supported Maternal and Child Health, but now it covers the entire spectrum of primary and secondary health care in Zambia. It helps improve healthcare access, enhance collaboration and coordination among healthcare providers, support public health initiatives, and strengthen healthcare systems.

Presenter(s)

The Mine Site Assessment Tool as a Capacity Building Instrument: a Case Study of Mining Communities in Ghana - Center for Social Impact Studies

GHANA

Center for Social Impact Studies (CeSIS) was formed as a research and advocacy non-governmental organization primarily focused on providing research backbone to Ghana’s extractive industry, to support organizations and other institutions working in marginalized communities across the country. In 2018, following requests from mining-affected stakeholders for a simple-to-use tool to assess local mining operations, RMF produced the Mine Site Assessment Tool (MSAT). The survey-type Tool is designed to be used as an entry point for constructive company-community dialogue with a view to seeking resolution of issues of direct importance to local people. The Tool covers 15 topics on a range of economic, environmental, social and governance (EESG) issues, including questions such as air quality, water quality and quantity, rehabilitation, and tailings management. In undertaking their operations, mining companies are required to incorporate a social inclusion policy in their work. In this case, concerns of gender, youth, unions and persons with disability must feature prominently in their operations. For instance, company can respect local communities and help keep them safe by publicly disclosing the number and circumstances of any deaths that happen. Based on wide-ranging testing and consultation, this set of questions is intended as a starting point to constructive engagement at any mine site, big or small, and for local communities, civil society, workers, local government and others wishing to engage in a constructive way on what one can reasonably expect from mine sites.

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Local Democracies Agencies: a tool of peace for democratic societies – ALDA: European Association for Local Democracy

FRANCE

ALDA was established to promote local democracy and citizens participation in the EU and to coordinate and support the network of Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs), which are self-sustainable, locally registered NGOs acting as promoters of good governance and local self-government. It promotes citizen participation and good governance at the local level by fostering the connection and cooperation between local authorities and civil society organisations. The Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs) are locally-based organisations, funded and supported by both local partners and international associates with a long-term joint program, providing financial and political support to fulfil their mandate and to accompany local democracy and civil society empowerment. Partnership-building is a crucial aspect for each LDA, as their work is based on the innovative method of multilateral decentralised cooperation. Each LDA is locally registered and works with local staff supported by ALDA in the field of project development and management, as well as in international networking. Currently, LDAs are located in Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkiye and Ukraine.

* All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations’ Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

Presenter(s)

Right to water – Polekol

SERBIA

The organization for political ecology Polekol promotes the idea of a community that meets social needs without damaging the environment. The Right to Water initiative is an open membership platform that advocates for the protection of water as a common good and also for the human right to water. Its main goal is to raise awareness and mobilize people against pollution, overuse, and privatization of water. In the last five years, this initiative gathered, supported and founded more than 100 local environmental groups fighting for rivers and nature protection, lakes, access to drinking water, for wastewater treatment, but also for more democratic processes, greater citizens participation and right of local communities to have their say in matters of environment and just transition to a greener economy. It is a leading initiative in Serbia for the campaign Save the Blue Heart of Europe, founder and a member of a regional initiative Lets Defend the Rivers of Balkans (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia), a member of the European Water Movement and global network People`s Water Movement.

* All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations’ Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

Presenter(s)