Rebecca Vander Meulen, MPH, Director of Community Health and Development for the Anglican Diocese of Niassa in Mozambique discusses how the church works with community groups to promote healthy behaviors and reach people with health care.

1. From Beneficiaries
to Agents:
Community Activists in the
Mozambican Diocese of Niassa
Rebecca J. Vander Meulen, MPH
Diocese of Niassa
Mozambique
rvandermeulen@fastmail.fm
+258 82 668 9990

5. 43
8
3
64
43
3
12
38
73
321
active
communities

6. Who is
involved?

7. Equipas de Vida / Life Teams
321 teams with 10,000 volunteer agents

8. Adeptos / Fans (Fieldworkers)

9. Local Leaders

10. Clergy
Clergy

11. Living in
God
We are
Together
A Blessed
People
Beloved
to Love
Values

12. to save, that is, deliver or protect
(literally or figuratively):
heal, preserve, save (self),
do well, be (make) whole
Σωζω

13. Ownership:
whose work is this?
a question
of POWER
and
AGENCY

14. TEAMS score the goals
Adeptos/staff encourage and equip
(supporting, not recruiting)

15. evolution of focus:
moving beyond HIV

16. practical support for vulnerable people

17. HIV prevention with youth

18. nutrition
promotion

19. maternal
and child
health
promotion

20. Health Committees

22. Health Committee
Coordinating Council

23. Church
members
Church
members and
neighbors
Whole
commmunity
Evolution of
Target Group

24. Teaching
in
Churches

25. Teaching in Public Settings

26. Teaching
in Schools

27. Family Health Counselors
(one for every ten households)

28. Adeptos
Animators: one
for every 20
counselors
Counselors: one for every
10 houses
EVERY house in a community

29. Using Data to Make
Decisions and Evaluate:
Knowledge, Attitudes, and
Pratices (KAP) Surveys

31. 80%
75%
79%
65%
33%
92% 90% 90%
75%
62%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Willing to care for a
family member sick
with AIDS
Female teacher
with virus that
causes AIDS
permitted to teach
Willing to purchase
vegetables from
someone living with
HIV
Would be good for
person with HIV to
share status
Summary:
accepting attitudes
towards people
living with HIV
Accepting Attitudes towards People Living with HIV (Lurio region, 60
communities, n = 550)
2014 2016

32. 29%
52%
32%
20%
63%
70%
61%
36%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Had HIV test in last 12
months
Have not used
unsterlized, shared
needle/blade in last 12
months
Ever used condom Used condom during
last sexual act
Self-Reported HIV-Related Action (Lurio region, 60 communities, n =
550)
2014 2016

33. 80%
28%
63%
22%
56%
93%
48%
79%
27%
79%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1+ antenatal visit 4+ antenatal visits iron
supplementation
3+ IPTp-SP HIV test
Antenatal Care (Milange region, 10 communities, n = 460)
2016 2017 (preliminary)

34. 57%
64%
59%
38%
12%
31%
52%
58% 56%
70%
44%
55%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
measles (12-23
months)
DTP1 (12-23
months)
DPT3 (12-23
months)
diarrhea treated
with ORS/fluids
fever treated
with ACT
cough and
fast/diff
breathing
treated with
antibiotics
Child Health Indicators (Milange region, 10 communities, n = 460)
2016 2017 (preliminary)

35. Obrigada!