NPI EXPAND is implementing NPI EXPAND, a five-year (October 2019-October 2024) USAID-funded program to increase the availability and use of health services by strengthening the technical and organizational capacity of new and underutilized partners (NUPs) and supporting them to scale-up health innovations in line with the USAID Local Capacity Development strategy. As one of the CSO implementing partners , Mahiberehiwort for Social Developmemt has been implementing Social Accountablity for better primary health service project in Amhara region at Waghimra ( Sekota Zuria and Gazgibla) and North wollo zone ( Gidan and Gazo woreda) . The main goal of this project is to improve the accessibility and quality of services in Family planning (FP) , Maternal , Newborn and Child health (MNCH). The aforementioned areas were selected taking the magnitude of the problem and the need on FP and MNCH in to consideration. While implementing the project different lessons were learned and success stories were witnessed in selected woredas of Waghimra and North wollo.
The major intervention approach to bring the intended change is community engagement through social accountability using community score card (CSC) tool. There are six steps in CSC.
Taba health center is found in Gazgibla woreda north Wollo zone of Amhara region which is 340 km away from the capital city of Amhara region ,Bahirdar, and currently it has a total population of 19,163 .The health center is found 30 km away from the woreda capital , Asketema which is 4hours of walk.
Taba health center started to provide services for its catchment population in 2000 G.C. Even tough, community complaints and good governance problem is common challenge in its catchment population, The health center did not initiate the social accountability activities fully to overcome these problems. After MSD’s intervention through the NPI Expand Program of the Social Accountability for Better Primary Health Service Delivery project, the health center initiated the social accountability activities and is progressing positively in so many ways.
Taba Health center is one of the exemplary health centers significant change was seen after utilization of the CSC tool. Taba health center used to have only 1 test menu and there were no plan or commitment from the government side to increase the test menus as well as improve the laboratory services provided due to different factors. After the Social accountability activities initiated the health center invested 100,000 ETB for laboratory service and fulfilled 34 laboratory menus from 1 test menu called HCG (pregnancy test) which is 87% of the standard number of laboratory menu which is 39.
