SANNAM EXPERIENCES IN NETWORKING

1. SANNAM EXPERIENCES IN NETWORKING Southern African Network of Nurses and Midwives presentation @ ICN HIV/AIDS Network meeting July 2nd, 2009 By Nyangi ‘Philemon’ Ngomu

2. SANNAM Background • Known as: SADC AIDS Network of Nurses and Midwives • The Sub- Saharan region is the epicenter of the AIDS pandemic globally. As a result: • Health care systems are overwhelmed • Absence of mechanisms to share experiences, each NNA has been left to re – invent the wheel • Thus SANNAM was formed in Durban 2000 preceding the International Aids Conference

3. SANNAM Background (Count.) Vision Improve national health services and social policies related to HIV/AIDS and other critical health challenges.

4. SANNAM Background (Count.) Mission Committed to the promotion of caring for the carers to care, through expansion of the professional nursing response to HIV/AIDS and other critical health care challenges within the Southern African region, and through networking, partnerships and capacity building

5. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 2009-2012 • Equip Nurses and midwives in each NNAs to protect themselves from the transmission of disease and other related hazards within their professional Environment • Increase the nursing and midwifery response to challenges posed by HIV/AIDS pandemic and other health care challenges in all fifteen NNAs • Improve the quality and availability of Human Resources for Health through the improvement of the working conditions of nurses and midwives, and other health workers in all 15 member countries

6. OBJECTIVES (Cont) • Enhance good and high standard performance of SANNAM secretariat • Lobby for SANNAM additional support from the regional and international Organizations, private sector and Non-Governmental Organizations • Strengthen SANNAM monitoring and evaluation system • Develop and implement a communication strategy between members and members with secretariat

7. Membership (Blue)

8. The African Village • 10% of the global population • 25% of the global disease burden • > 60% of people living with HIV/AIDS • Highest disease burden of TB and Malaria • 1% of the global health spending • 2% of the global health work force • Very significant differences in health within and across countries • E.g. Life expectancy: 32.5 yrs (Swaz) – 72.5 yrs (Mauritius)

9. HIV & malaria prevalence

10. Doctors & nurses working

11. Experiences: SADC/EU funded Project • The overall objective of the project was: To contribute to the creation of an environment that enables nurses and midwives as frontline soldiers of the HIV/AIDS pandemic to manage and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS effectively

12. Project Activities through NNAs • Carry out capacity assessment on NNAs to look at their capacity to handle projects of a large spectrum, • Provide capacity building on areas identified, • Submit work plans on what they are to do with regards to Universal Precautions, • Provide in-country trainings on UP, • Conduct a survey to identify gaps that exist within the UP and the availability of post exposure prophylaxis, • Conduct a workshop for nurse leaders to develop a regional risk reduction plan.

13. Results -The project first addressed capacity shortages as directed by the results of the capacity assessment exercise, - The development of the Occupational Risk Reduction strategy by nurse leaders marked the success for SANNAM’s first work plan - The development of Resource centers marked the success for the second work plan – made available to NNAs, but needs regular review

14. Results (cont.) • The issue of advocacy has been well attended to in this project given that nurse leaders learned to advocate for their own problems within the profession, • The twinning partnerships approach used in this project and others allowed member NNAs to visit each other and learn from each other for the improvement of nursing practices.

15. Lessons learned • Overcrowding in hospitals: e.g. Malawi; staff shortages push relatives to stay in hospitals in order to take care of their sick relatives, • A passion to care is not hindered by unfavorable circumstances: e.g. Malawi as the nurses who are remaining are doing the best they can under those unhealthy circumstances, • Attempts to increase membership are enhanced: e.g. Botswana has reported membership growth as other nurses are seeing the benefits of belonging to an association,

16. Lessons learned (cont.) • Other health care workers are benefiting from the project:e.g. Once member countries purchase the safe injection devices, the whole conveyer belt that comes across needles will benefit , • Twinning partnerships :tremendous impact towards lifting the member countries that has not been performing well,

17. Lessons learned (cont.) • Courtesy calls to Ministries of Health: through introduction of the project an impact was made for MoH’s assisting the NNAs, • SANNAM capacity to commit NNAs work, • The power of involving those who are to implement, • Gaining from other partner organizations,

18. Network Challenges • Communication –Translations (costly), • Mobilization of funds for Secretariat sustainability, • Difficulty for members to afford increase in subscription fee, • Total dependence on donor funding, • Donor fatigue, • Global financial crisis, • Unsuccessful MOU with SADC secretariat

19. Conclusion SANNAM, the only regional nursing structure in the SADC region needs new partners to support its activities towards strengthening NNAs through capacity building, networking and sharing of best practices to advance and improve HIV/AIDS nursing delivery and respond to the challenges of policies, health systems strengthening, and research at regional level.

20. Thank you