Overall targets
Knowledge about NCDs have improved amongst relevant stakeholders and community members in all five regions in Rwanda and RNCDA have strengthened its capacity in the field of NCD advocacy, awareness and research.
Immediate targets
Objective 1 By April 2020 Rwanda NCD Alliance has a solid governance structure and accountability in five branches within five provinces of Rwanda, with sufficient capacity to implement activities, generate reliable data and create awareness Objective 2 By April 2020 Rwanda NCD Alliance has screened 10.000 people and increased their awareness about NCDs and their risk factors Objective 3 By April 2020 Rwanda NCD Alliance has successfully influenced relevant stakeholders
Target groups
Primary Target Group Volunteers within RNCDA A core element in the primary target group is the volunteers. Of these, the primary targets are 5 members of the board, 15 leaders of branches and 40 health volunteers. The board mainly consists of health care professionals, doctors, professors in medicine etc. or PLWNCDs (People Living With NCDs). With training in administration and governance, these are huge assets to the project as they can support the project manager, and contribute with both expert knowledge and a network with access to relevant stakeholders. With more than 200 volunteers already affiliated with RNCDA, RNCDA has solid experience in handling volunteers. The volunteers almost all have a health background. They are young and well educated (normally they have a university degree). They are eager to bringing back what they have acquired from universities to the communities. However, few of them have received proper training in NCDs and data collection, and more have to be recruited in the branches, this will be done through the already existing network of RNCDA and its member organizations. The 15 leaders and 40 volunteers can with the training provided serve as ambassadors as they through their background poses the required legitimacy to promote NCDs. Furthermore, they have the ability to do the actual screening activities planned in this project. Members of Public Participating in Car Free Days Another primary target group is the participants in the screening and information events at the Car Free Days and similar events where RNCDA will conduct awareness and screening activities. At least 10.000 persons will be screened and receive information about NCDs at these events, throughout the country. This group will consist of a broad representation of the general population, as these activities have a large public appeal. By screening and informing this group about NCDs, they will increase their knowledge about their own health status and provide them with tools to improve their overall health witch ultimately also benefit the general public health system as such, as a healthier lifestyle limits the burden of the NCDs. Moreover, the participants will function as ambassadors spreading the knowledge about prevention of NCDs gained to family and friends and hopefully encourage others in their local communities to be screened and take on a healthier lifestyle. Policymakers As explained previously NCDs receive limited political attention, and knowledge about the current scale of the problem is limited due to insufficient data. Focusing on providing data and gaining access to policy makers, both regionally and nationally, and provide them with reliable data, is therefore of key importance. These policy makers are both governmental institutions, ministries (including ministry of Finance, Agriculture, Sports etc.), but also MPs and local government council representatives. As the burden of NCDs is so massive, and treatment is expensive, especially if symptoms are not detected early on. It is crucial that the governmental and public institutions are transformed and receive sufficient political and financial recourses to provide just a minimum of service concerning treatment of the NCDs. Furthermore and in order to create substantial awareness public institutions like schools and health care providers must actively engage to promote prevention by increasing general awareness about the problem and the risk factors. Secondary Target Group General Population Rwanda is a sovereign state in central Africa with a widely varied geography. Rwanda has one of the highest population densities in Africa with a young, mostly rural population. As of 1 January 2018, Rwanda had an estimated population of 12.322.920 people. Rwanda’s population is increasing with around 2.5% annually. In the general population, there is a lack of knowledge about NCDs and their risk factors, but by bringing people together this project can provide education about NCDs so people can do more in safeguarding their future. As the Car Free Days usually receive good media coverage, we expect to be able to reach at least 500.000 persons through our media activities. Other CSOs Car Free Sunday (CFS) have participation from other CSOs and these will be involved in the overall coordination of the event, and thus experience and relationship with these will be improved. These organizations may also be supportive in promoting the NCD agenda. In the preparatory committee of the CFS, RNCDA interacted with different partners including: sports organizations (Triathlon, Yoga, Sports for Youth NGO, media (Association of Sports Journalists) and religious representatives (Adventist Churches organization, Catholic Schools Sports organization) all examples of CSOs that may be collaborated with during the CFS events through the intervention. Member Organization of Rwanda NCDs Alliance RNCDA members are key organizations to the fight against NCDs in Rwanda. United they are a powerful voice for NCDs awareness raising, advocates for significantly more prevention efforts and control of the most common NCDs and their risk factors. They are engaging individuals, communities and government to bring the NCDs into the public spotlight and on national agenda. Via the ongoing capacity for citizen engagement in prevention and control of NCDs in Rwanda, RNCDA have established a more formal cooperation amongst its member organisations. Furthermore, these organisations poses a vast amount of knowledge which can improve the advocacy effort of RNCDA, therefore, an even better organisation and engagement of these members can prove valuable for the overall achievement to improve knowledge about NCDs.
Resume
This intervention seeks to improve the capacity of Rwanda NCD Alliance to implement awareness activities, collect reliable data and engage in advocacy to represent patients and improve the conditions for people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). A branch structure of the partner will be developed to gain broader outreach within the country and support local community mobilisation. Public supported Car Free Day events are used as a platform to increase the awareness about NCDs and perform screenings in order to collect primary data to be used for advocacy at regional and national level through regional and national stakeholder meetings.