Purpose

This note provides guidance on how to integrate gender and diversity considerations when applying the community-based health and first aid (CBHFA) approach, particularly in regard to health promotion and disease prevention, Mother, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), non-communicable diseases (NCDs), violence prevention and urban health programmes.

It contains a number of case studies from Afghanistan, Honduras, Qatar and Ireland.

A checklist for designing gender and diversity-sensitive community health programmes can be found on p.17.

Overview

• Most interventions related to MNCH and sexual and reproductive health focus primarily on improving women and adolescent girls’ knowledge of, and practices on, MNCH issues. However, in most societies, men often control household income and hold the decision-making powers in matters that affect MNCH. Interventions that aim to build communities’ resilience and achieve improvements in MNCH need to involve older people (men and women), religious leaders and more specifically men and boys given their familial and social roles within communities in order to improve MNCH outcomes.
• The increase in and prevalence of NCDs represents a global health crisis. The inter-linkages between MNCH and the development of NCDs are becoming increasingly clear. NCDs are the leading cause of death among women worldwide, particularly during childbearing years. The four main NCD risk factors for women and men are: unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and excessive use of alcohol.
• Violence is among the most prominent public health problems faced today. Besides being a leading cause of mortality, many of the millions of non-fatal injuries result in life-long disabilities.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff; Gender and diversity practitioners