Hydraulic ram pumps and Sling Pumps

Appendix: Advocacy Papers - IRC International Water and Sanitation Centrefor universal immunisation did not succeed by focusing on technicalaspects of syringes and vaccines. It mobilised communities, policymakers, the media and every level of society to prevent children dyingneedlessly. Efficient service delivery was essential, but first thecampaign had to make communities want and demand vaccines fortheir children. The water and sanitation sector has the same agenda,and can use the same means.Inside the sector there are also solid examples where communicationtransformed a programme. Guinea worm disease affected 10m peopleacross the world, but until an international campaign gainedmomentum, barely one case in 20 was known. Now eradication of thedisease in Nigeria and Ghana is likely by the end of 1995.●●●At international level former US President Jimmy Carter acted asambassador for the campaign, opening doors to ministers and other keyfigures.At national level political leaders played a crucial role. In Ghana, theHead of State visited 21 endemic villages to launch the campaign. InNigeria, the Vice President told local government to allocate 10% ofhealth budgets to eradication.At community level advocacy was translated into action. In Nigeriaand Ghana a village by village search identified more than 800,000cases in a year, and village health workers made monthly reports.Health education was tackled on a wide front, with radio jingles, schoollessons and village meetings.Both Nigeria and Ghana reported a drop in incidence of over 30%between 1989 and 1990, and in one district in Ghana there was a 77%reduction in the disease after the installation of 150 wells. Theeradication programme is one of the success stories of the decade.Making Partnerships and Convincing AlliesThe sector has to convince all sections of society that changes aredesirable and achievable and that each section has a vital role to play.Before society can be mobilised it must be convinced. The New DelhiStatement, drawn up in 1990, and subsequently endorsed by 71 Headsof State at the World Summit for Children, and by the UN Generalhttp://www.irc.nl/page/6245 (4 of 10) [1/13/2005 12:47:34 PM]