Tailoring Aid Delivery Methods

Our last speaker, Ambar Basu, discussed how important it is to actually ask the people being provided aid what they want or need. This is logical not just from a critical standpoint, but also from a practical one. Money spent on aid is more likely to produce results if it is directed at a cause the population will support and actually needs. But, I think that community involvement does not need to just occur at the initial stages of idea formation. There can be several levels to ensuring the involvement of a community in the delivery of aid or health services to their area. Beyond analysis of the community’s felt needs, there can be collaboration in research and involvement in the planning of delivery of the service (what I mean by this is that the need is met in a way that is tailored more specifically to that region and people).

I found an interesting article related to the idea of tailoring delivery of a service to a particular region which serves as a good example of what I am talking about. In Laos, health literacy had been identified as a need. Efforts were being made throughout the region to increase health literacy, particularly about HIV/AIDs. However, many of these attempts used printed materials that required a certain reading level to understand. Such information was not accessible to many in poorer rural regions who did not have access to adequate education to allow them to read the information. Although health literacy was an important need, the efforts to meet this need were failing in certain regions due to the delivery method.

So, Yoshida, Kobayashi, Sapkota, and Akkhavong (2011) used a lam, a traditional folk song, to communicate information about HIV/AIDs. The song was performed by a well-known folk singer in the region using traditional instruments. The message was well-received and effectively increased the understanding of HIV/AIDs transmission and prevention. Many had previously believed that it could be transmitted through mosquitos, like malaria, or by living near an infected person. Some said that they trusted the information because it was delivered in a lam.

I think it is extremely important to consider not just the particular needs of an area, but also how aid can most effectively be delivered to that area. The use of a lam is something that could be continued or passed from person to person. It is a more sustainable intervention for HIV/AIDs intervention in that region. That lam, however, only provides information about one disease. I do not know if using multiple lams for different diseases would be effective or well-received. Perhaps a “more sustainable” intervention would involve strengthening the education system or increasing educational opportunities in that region. But what that would look like would, again, need to be tailored to that particular region.

I say that this type of involvement is necessary, but I understand the difficulty of tailoring programs to particular regions. It is easier to use one formula for one disease or general intervention. But if these one-size-fits-all interventions do not prove to be effective, are they really the “easier” or more efficient choice?

Yoshida, I., Kobayashi, T., Sapkota, S., & Akkhavong, K. (2011). Evaluating educational media using traditional folk songs (‘lam’) in Laos: a health message combined with oral tradition. Health promotion international. doi: 10.1093/heapro/dar086