Kintampo Health Research Centre: Creating awareness and

opinion seeking among community members and policy

makers

Kwaku Poku Asante

Authors

• K. P Asante, MD MPH• C. Zandoh, MSc• C. Tawiah, MSc• J. Saah, MPA• Cabio Casmir• S. Owusu-Agyei, PhD

Outline

• Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC)

• Our community members• KHRC community engagement models• Gaps Identified• Our new model being evaluated

Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC)

About KHRC

• One of 3 Ghana Health Service Research centres

• Established 1994• Mandate is to conduct

public health research to inform local and international policy

RESEARCH CENTRES OF MOH/GHS, GHANARESEARCH CENTRES OF MOH/GHS, GHANA

Navrongo Health Research Centre (northern belt)

Kintampo Health Research Centre (middle belt)

Dangbe West Research Centre (coastal belt)

About KHRC

• Conducts community based research– Social science

• E.g. KAP of antimalarials– Experimental studies

• E.g. Meningitis vaccine study– Interventional studies

• E.g. Newborn intervention studies

Our community members

The community: members

• A population of about 140000

• Mainly rural with subsistent farming

• Two dominant ethnic group exist (Mos and Akans)

The community: governance

• Two systems of governance– Government

• A district assembly of elected community members• A district administration to implement government/

local assembly policies– Traditional

• Chiefs and community elders

The community: stakeholders

KHRC community engagement models

KHRC – community engagement

• Mainly through community meetings and durbars – To announce start, end or findings of research

work– To address issues e.g. rumours about blood

draws• Community meetings and durbars allow for

Q and As. However, women and children may not participate in asking questions.

KHRC – community engagement

KHRC – Media engagement

KHRC – stakeholder engagement

Gaps Identified

Gaps identified

• The gap– Community engagement has been project

specific– Lack of awareness about KHRC’s research

agenda– Lack of awareness of KHRC’s research

mandate– Inadequate sustainable channels for

communication between KHRC and community

Current Model -Objectives1. To explain KHRC’s activities and research agenda in

detail for target audiences.

2. To seek, discuss and address respective audience’s perceptions, opinions and expectations of KHRC’s activities and research agenda.

3. To strengthen KHRC’s communication unit to respond to community members and media questions with consistent messages regarding KHRC’s research activities and research agenda.

4. To share experiences and lessons learnt with local and international research community.

Current Model –target groups

• Community members • Kintampo North and South District

Assemblies (District level policy makers • District Health Professionals • Media• Other community based departments

(agriculture, education, police, non-governmental organizations, human rights

Current Model -Approach• Preparatory phase

– Identify communication team

– Develop working message booklet • Developed by RO’s in a 3 day workshop.• Will contain messages about past/present studies• Will be reviewed

– KHRC documentary • 30 minute documentary to highlight KHRC research agenda

and facilities• In English and local languages

Current Model -Approach

• Preparatory phase– KHRC Information leaflet

• To outline KHRC’s agenda• It’s policy on communication • Will bear the contact details of KHRC• Will be given out at community durbars and

workshops– PowerPoint presentation for workshops

Current Model -Approach

• Implementation – Over a 6 month period– Community meetings– Radio discussions– Workshops

Current Model –M & E

• Formative evaluation – pre-test tools

• Process evaluation– Workshops:

– short questionnaire to evaluate the outline of the workshop, clarity of presentation, discussion/opinion seeking moderation and their perception of the environment for the workshop

– Radio discussions– Population survey (100 respondents) to evaluate the

clarity of the message

Current Model – Process evaluation

• Community meetings– Rappoteur will randomly select 4 community

members ( 2 males, 2 females) to interview them about clarity of the message

• Media engagement– Media reports and discussions will be

monitored after the media briefing

Current Model – Outcome evaluation

• Outcome evaluation: • Focus group discussions will be held among

target groups before and after the project to evaluate the expected outcomes.

• A detailed report be reviewed by sponsors and other research centres. Their feedback will be documented and considered in subsequent public engagement projects.

Key outcomes 1

• Awareness of KHRC’s activities and research agenda among the community, governance structures, stakeholders.

• A manual of KHRC’s key messages

• A documentation of target audience feedback about KHRC’s activities and research agenda is established

Key outcomes 2

• A strengthened KHRC’s communication unit

• Lessons learnt shared with other health research institutions in Ghana.

• These can be updated and implemented on a sustained basis.

Acknowledgements

• Ghana Health Service• Kintampo Health Research Centre• Wellcome Trust• Community members• All stakeholders