Background: Data works as intelligence for decision making and is used to create evidence for advocacy and demonstrates impacts an organisation delivers. Advocacy for Better Health uses PATH’s 10 parts advocacy strategy development to ensure that evidence has a specific purpose to address the needs of citizens, stakeholders, decision makers and policy makers.

Objectives: The Goal of the advocacy Strategy is to guide effective advocacy for issues of citizen concerns for improved quality, accessibility, availability of health and social services.

Methods:PATH’s 10 part advocacy strategy involves context and situation analysis of thematic areas in focus (nutrition, malaria, HIV, Maternal and Neo natal Child Health, Reproductive Health, and the plight of orphans and vulnerable children. Problem analysis and objectives analysis are conducted to facilitate goal setting and this evidence generated is used in identification of decision makers, decision-maker interests, packaging of messages with corresponding tactics and a clear plan of measuring success. Packaged in form of fact sheets, dossiers and presentations, the evidence is transmittable, easy to digest and shareable and has been found effective in compelling decision makers to take action on policy change.

Results: As a result districts have enacted and implemented Ordinances to reduce absenteeism and school dropout of children, Uganda is reviewing the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan (UNAP) 2011-2016 to ensure that districts include nutrition activities in District Development Plans and budgets. The Parliament of Uganda is to launch Parliament Tuberculosis caucus to raise profile of the issues and ensure increased domestic funding for TB activities in the country from current 4% funding to 25% to less donor dependency.

Conclusions: The approach has increased utilisation of evidence to inform advocacy to influence the formulation and implementation of policies, legislation and programmes and allocation of budgets to programs in health and social services at national and district levels

References
Advocacy for Better Health (2015). Advocacy Strategy 2015 – 2019, PATH, Kampala