Sustaining PHE Activities in Kenya and Uganda: Webinar Recap

On May 25, Knowledge SUCCESS hosted a webinar highlighting unique experiences implementing cross-sectoral integrated Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) activities in Kenya and Uganda. The webinar featured four panelists, all of whom are featured in a recent learning brief developed by Knowledge SUCCESS, which summarizes lessons about scale-up and sustainability of the Health of People and Environment-Lake Victoria Basin (HoPE-LVB) project activities since its closure in 2019.

New to Population, Health, and Environment (PHE)? Find more on the topic.

• Moderator:
  • Itoro Inoyo, Analyst for Gender and Population, Environment, and Development (PED), USAID/PHI
• Panelists:
  • Pamela Onduso, Pathfinder International, Kenya PHE Network
  • James Peter Olemo, National Population Council, Uganda PHE Network
  • Daniel Abonyo, Rachuonyo Environmental Conservation Initiatives (RECI), Homa Bay, Kenya
  • Jostas Mwebembezi, Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy, Uganda

In the webinar, speakers explored ways that community groups, organizations, networks, and governments continue to implement activities that started under HoPE-LVB. They also provided recommendations for scale-up and sustainability of PHE activities moving forward.

Below we’ve included a comprehensive recap that links to exact segments within the full recordings (available in English or French).

Background

Itoro Inoyo provided an overview of Health of People and Environment-Lake Victoria Basin (HoPE-LVB)—a cross-sectoral integrated PHE project implemented by Pathfinder International and a range of partners in Kenya and Uganda from 2011-2019. The project aimed to improve interconnected health, environment, and development challenges in an ecologically biodiverse region.

In 2022, the Knowledge SUCCESS project—with funding from 128 Collective (formerly Preston-Werner Ventures) and USAID—conducted a rapid stock-taking activity to document sustained impact of HoPE-LVB project activities in Kenya and Uganda. They conducted one focus group discussion & 17 in-depth interviews with project staff, community members, and government officials. Findings were used to develop a learning brief to share lessons learned on scale-up of cross-sectoral programming.

Ms. Inoyo presented a few high-level findings from the learning brief, including a few activities from the HoPE-LVB project that contributed to PHE activities sustaining after the closure of the project. These included:

• Scale-up and institutionalizing PHE systems and processes from the start
• Involving decision makers and improving their knowledge of PHE programming
• Cultivating strong PHE champions in communities and networks

She also stressed the importance of conducting post-project evaluation activities. While donors often work in five-year project cycles, conducting post-project evaluations—or rapid stock-taking activities like this one—can help us fully recognize the project’s impact, identify challenges, and share important insights and lessons learned to inform future cross-sectoral programming.

Impact of the Kenya PHE Network

Pamela Onduso began with an overview of the official policy documents, institutions, and structures that guide the implementation of PHE activities in Kenya.

She then described the key achievements of the Kenya PHE Network, including:

• PHE training of National Council of Population and Development (NCPD) staff at the regional and county levels;
• increased funding for PHE activities in Kenya;
• development of PHE national frameworks;
• PHE communication materials (including two documentaries, linked below in related resources); and
• regional climate events hosted by the Kenyan government.

Ms. Onduso also provided some recommendations when implementing and sustaining PHE activities:

• Begin with the end in mind
• Promote PHE model households
• Embed PHE concepts in existing local institutions for sustainability and research
• Continuously advocate for PHE funding
• Nurture PHE champions—including youth
• Promote PHE learning exchange visits
• Document PHE successes

Impact of the Uganda PHE Network

James Peter Olemo spoke about the continued impact of the Uganda PHE Network.

Mr. Olemo began with an overview of the Uganda PHE Network, a group of 45 state and non-state actors that work together to promote and mainstream the PHE approach within Uganda.

He highlighted some of the key achievements of the Uganda PHE Network since the end of the HoPE-LVB project, including:

• Inclusion of PHE into key policy documents—for example, the National Population Policy (NPP) National Strategic Plan, Climate Change Policy, and Uganda FP Costed Implementation Plan
• PHE course units offered at two universities
• New funding streams and partners for PHE work
• PHE orientation and training of government officials
• Training of over 400 PHE champions

Mr. Olemo also offered the following recommendations to sustain PHE programs:

• Ensure government-led coordination mechanisms—to develop and synchronize policy and encourage government buy-in
• Establish knowledge sharing systems for PHE stakeholders
• Combine efforts to mobilize resources and conduct PHE advocacy

Sustained Activities in Homa Bay, Kenya

Daniel Abonyo began with an overview of PHE activities in Homa Bay, Kenya. He provided an overview of what RECI achieved during the HoPE-LVB project, including initiation of PHE model households, establishing a group of male champions, tree planting, and energy saving stoves.

Mr. Abonyo then highlighted what has been sustained after the closure of HoPE-LVB, including:

• Improved participation of men in health (specifically FP, antenatal care, and HIV/AIDS texting) and women in natural resource management activities
• Improved engagement of hard-to-reach populations in PHE activities
• Scale up of PHE approach to 1,200 model households—which includes activities related to livelihoods, kitchen gardens, tree planting, healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies, among other topics
• Cultivation of additional PHE champions at the community level

Sustained Activities in Uganda Districts

Jostas Mwebembezi began with an overview of the HoPE-LVB activities in the Kasese District in Uganda. The HoPE-LVB project activities (which continue today) include mobile clinics that integrate family planning with other health services (malaria, HIV, etc.), sustainable agriculture for better food security and nutrition, improved livelihoods, and awareness of environmental conservation at the household and community levels.

Since the closure of HoPE-LVB, PHE achievements in the Kasese District have included the following:

• Successful door-to-door visits reduced adolescent pregnancies by 20%
• Opening of a local adolescent health clinic, which reached 10,051 first time users, including over 1,771 people with disabilities.
• Over 1,000 trees planted
• Over 1,000 households reached with PHE activities

Mr. Mwebembezi concluded that the integrated PHE approach is a cost effective model at the district level. PHE brings together district agriculture, health, natural resource, and education departments to plan together in their annual budgets, engaging local religious leaders, school teachers to better achieve the sustainable development goals at the household level.

Questions Answered During the Webinar

Question: How are you using digital technologies in rural communities for PHE?

Question: Do you work with urban and environmental planners to address PHE issues—and if so, are there any specific issues you found integrating health and urban planning?

Additional Questions

Additional questions were posed by the audience during the webinar, and panelists provided responses after the webinar concluded. Answers to these questions can be found below.

For more information about HoPE-LVB:

• Learning brief
• Documentary: PHE National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) Documentary
• Documentary: Integrating Population, Health, and Environment for Sustainable Development in Kenya
• HoPE-LVB Toolkit

For more information about PHE and PED:

• Subscribe to People-Planet Connection Updates Newsletter
• View resources on People-Planet Connection