The Public Engagement (PE) Department in SMRU-BHF was officially formed in 2018. We aim to connect SMRU-BHF and communities, by providing quality healthcare services along with humanitarian assistance to the migrant populations along the Thai-Myanmar border, and to support researchers on community engagement in research. Our key responsibilities are to promote and deliver health knowledge, education, and understanding emphasizing on Malaria, Tuberculosis (TB), Maternal and Child Health (MCH), vaccination, and communicable diseases. Through multiple means of engagement to increase, stimulate, and prevent misconceptions on a health basis.
OVERALL OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
At SMRU we promote health knowledge, education, and awareness toward migrant populations, emphasizing malaria, maternal and child health (MCH), tuberculosis (TB), and communicable diseases. 1. Provide translation support across departments. 2. Promote understanding of research with communities. 3. Inform and share research findings and outcomes. We established partnership networks, and maintain good relationships and collaborations with local organizations exiting along the Thai-Myanmar border: Thai Public Health, CBOs, and NGOs. Our strength lies in capacity building for team members, community health workers (CHWs), and stakeholders: religious leaders, teachers, and village heads to maximize their abilities to deliver meaningful engagement to target populations.
The campaign aims to increase communities’ understanding of malaria, as well as stimulate villagers to seek treatment at the nearest health facilities within 24 hours when symptoms appear.
TEENAGE PREGNANCY DIALOGUE DRAMA PERFORMANCE
The campaign aims to raise awareness of adolescent pregnancy and its danger and to determine if dialogue drama performances can raise awareness of adolescent pregnancy.
EXPANDED PROGRAM ON IMMUNIZATION CAMPAIGN
The PE team intends to provide EPI vaccination information to migrant populations and encourage migrants to comprehensively obtain vaccinations at health facilities nearby health facilities.
TUBERCULOSIS (TB) AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
The campaign implementation is delivered to migrant communities, intending to increase community knowledge and understanding of the prevention and danger of TB disease. We aim to gain behaviour change and seek early treatment, and to reduce discrimination in communities on TB and affected families.
TB – HIV DIALOGUE DRAMA PERFORMANCE FOR COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
SMRU-BHF aims to deliver messages about TB treatment and provide effective treatment for TB patients free of charge. We emphasise important information and messages among the population living on both sides of the Thai-Myanmar border.
DENGUE AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGN
The dengue information was provided for migrant communities, expecting them to obtain knowledge and awareness, as well as to gain their preventative practices to reduce dengue infection in their environment.
FILLING THE GAPS AND STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARTNERS
MEETING AND DISCUSSION ON MALARIA ELIMINATION IN TWIN VILLAGES ALONG THE THAI-MYANMAR BORDER
METF and PE teams participated in twin villages meetings, discussing and sharing the malaria situation within twin villages, and co-establish malaria elimination statistic plans. This meeting was also attended by Thai public health personnel, local hospital personnel, and others who are involved and responsible for malaria elimination along the Thai-Myanmar border.
SITE VISIT, ENGAGEMENT, MEETING, AND COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND COMMUNITY LEADERS
Our team maintains close coordination with local authorities and community leaders, this allows us to obtain permission to access targeted areas and support their needs when requested. We engaged with key contact persons and respected elders, village chiefs, employers, and CHWs. Establishing relationships and building trust with these stakeholders allows our team to identify new migrant clusters and support their needs.Through engaging with them, we learned that migrants faced difficulties with traveling to access health services.
Strengthen the capacity of PE team members and Community Health Workers (CHWs)
Capacity Building for PE team members and relevant departments
To support and enable effective and boost confidence among our team members, and colleagues from other departments, we aimed for capacity building on different topics to strengthen our skills to deliver and conduct our activities in the community with confidence and efficiency by using new techniques and methods to optimize engagement practices.
Empowering and Strengthening the Capacity of Community Health Workers (CHWs) and key persons
The PE team emphasizes collaboration with the communities, aiming to build trust and increase their understanding, and knowledge. And to strengthen their capacity and knowledge on various health topics through training for CHWs and relevant key persons.
Engagement for Vulnerable; ensuring no one is behind in health
The project aims to improve healthcare services for vulnerable populations and respond to emergencies and natural disasters in communities in Karen state, Myanmar by providing capacity-building training for key PE team members, stakeholders, and CHWs-MPWs. As well as to establish self-help groups to respond to any emergency health needs and natural disasters in targeted communities.
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