Member Spotlight: The Access Challenge
We are The Access Challenge (TAC), a non-profit organization that seeks to build prosperous partnerships with governments, businesses, and cultural/local leaders to boost momentum in Africa for Universal Health Coverage. TAC engages in cross-sector partnerships to develop impactful campaigns that provide health communication outreach, encourage social behavioral change (SBC) around health behaviors, and advocate for equal access to healthcare. Our campaigns are impactful because we utilize ‘surround sound’ mass media methods that tap into the influential powers that cultural icons (like political leaders or artists) have with their audiences, as well as promote both leader-to-leader advocacy and accountability to effectuate tangible change. Our evidence-based methodology behind developing impactful campaigns has proved to be very beneficial in increasing the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines through the rollout COVID-19 vaccine campaigns in Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Roadshows, much like this one (which took place in the Kinshasa Province in the DRC in 2023), play a key role in our efforts to connect with communities and boost vaccination rates. The African Union Bingwa Initiative resulted in a 10% increase in COVID-19 vaccination rates in the DRC, and had over 5 million reaches across multiple countries on popular social media platforms. Check out our YouTube to see some roadshow highlights!
Currently, the TAC team is developing a routine vaccination campaign in Malawi. The primary objective of our Malawi campaign is to employ SBC strategies to boost demand for and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in Thyolo and Phalombe Districts. Ahead of the launch date of the campaign, TAC arranged national and district-level meetings to share the campaign objectives and co-develop culturally appropriate messages for the campaign. Our goal is not just to receive endorsement – it is to shift the power and promote ownership of the campaign amongst community members by meaningfully engaging community gatekeepers and district leaders as partners and not mere beneficiaries. At every step of the way, TAC is focused on promoting trustworthiness, transparency and mutual accountability between partners at all levels irrespective of whether they are at the local, national, or international level.
Our district introductory meetings, like this one held in Phalombe District, Malawi, are quintessential to developing a campaign that is aligned with district-level health priorities.
“Thyolo District has had several campaigns in the past where we aimed at raising awareness on the COVID-19 vaccine uptake, but most of these campaigns were not done systematically…The prospect of having a partner who has vast SBC experience in vaccination campaigns is exciting for us and we would want to pledge full support for this campaign”
– Dr. Arnold Jumbe, Director of Health and Social Services, Thyolo District, Malawi
TAC is an international non-profit organization that works in partnership with the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation and the African Union to engage national leaders and advocate for equal access to healthcare through their flagship UHC campaign One By One: Target 2030. We envision a world where all global citizens have equal access to the opportunities and services they need to thrive, and we take action to ensure that essential health services and education opportunities are accessible to all. To learn more about us, please visit our website.