The 5S Sudanese team, in collaboration with local project stakeholders conducted two public engagement involvement (PEI) campaigns to promote awareness of the IDPs population at camps . In addition, they led two workshops to build capacity of relevant institutions and leaders on mycetoma and scabies. These activities involved:
- Medication days for cases management to control and prevent spread of scabies.
- Distribution of hygiene materials by the 5S Sudan’s team to IDPs camps and gathering places.
- Participation in formulation and production of health policy and strategy of scabies as the most widespread NTD in Port Sudan city (capital of Red Sea State) and acting as permanent capital of Sudan now.
- IDPs camp coordinators capacity building training workshop on basic of the awareness on scabies.
PEI campaigns on promotion of awareness of scabies in Port Sudan
Two public engagement campaigns were conducted at the IDPs camps and gathering places at port Sudan City between 29th June and 17th July 2024.
The campaigns targeted the people at micro and meso levels, including individuals, patients, and people affected by the illness and those around them such as family and close community. Six hundred and sixty-six people benefited from the campaigns, with two hundred and sixteen people receiving medical check-ups by dermatologist.
Two capacity building training workshops were conducted on 13th August and 20th August 2024. The first one concerned health policies (NTDs- Severely stigmatizing Skin Diseases with 40 people benefiting from this workshop. The second involved Coordinators of IDPs/gathering places, to raise their capacity on scabies and how to control and prevent its spread. Fifty Coordinators benefited from this workshop.
These campaigns and workshops were supported by PowerPoint presentations, brochures and posters distribution and through discussion by participants and contributors.
The local partners, stakeholders and local communities greatly appreciated the project activities.
Futhermore, the 5S team launched dissemination activities by presenting findings from 5S to senior staff from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), State Ministry of Health (SMoH) and Health Administration Centres (HAC) as well as traditional media professionals (National channels i.e. TV program) in two separate workshops on 13/11/2024 and 14/11/2024.
In this event Dr Eltaib Ganawa presented a public talk on the 5S context, its management, challenges and success. He presented the key findings of Dr Hala and Dr Osama. He emphasised the importance of collaboration at the regional level, and highlighted the importance of the local level engagement particularly in relation to sustainability.
He added that this project will pave the way for the many areas to be the focus for future research. Dr Badraldeen Ali presented his findings, and noted how they should be widely heard in Sudan through different media such as national TV, Radio and newsletter alongside social media. He also gave a very clear message to the attendees to reproduce the messages in different platforms. He focused on the important aspects of his findings and how these could contribute to the context of mycetoma with practical recommendations to the community. His presentation opened important discussions with the Ministry of Health and others relevant institutions.
This piece was written by Dr Ahmed ElFaig, Project Coordinator of the 5S Foundation Programme in Sudan.
