U-report will help measure success, failure of health interventions – Barebwoha

It would also help government and stakeholders to measure the failure or successes of intervention in communities and know the perceptive of the public with the aim of bringing such issues into national consciousness.     What is U-report all about? U-report is a free SMS (short message service) platform designed to address issues communities care about. […]

It would also help government and stakeholders to measure the failure or successes of intervention in communities and know the perceptive of the public with the aim of bringing such issues into national consciousness.    

What is U-report all about?
U-report is a free SMS (short message service) platform designed to address issues communities care about. The way it works is that weekly polls are sent out to users so that people who freely subscribed to the platform through   registration which allows them to share their views on issues that concern them can participate.
Why did UNICEF come up with U-report platform?
UNICEF came up with the initiative of U-report basically because UNICEF strongly recognised the need to respect the right of users and community members especially in highlighting issues of the voiceless.  The brain behind U-report is really based   on the fact that communities   have the right to participate and be engaged   in issues   that concern   them can participate.  
It is of paramount   importance that the voiceless are given a platform where they can speak out and be heard. Recognising peoples’ right to participate in issues that concern   them and the need for it is really the brain   behind U-report, because often times communities   are left   out when decisions   that affect them are being made, especially those that borders on their wellbeing. That was why U-report was set up as a platform where community members can speak up, get information and be able to influence   decision making process.
What are the issues that are often discussed on U-report?
The issues that are discussed are those that affect health, education, water, sanitation, hygiene, Prevention of Mother- To -Child Transmission (PMTCT) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and security challenges for children in schools. We look at social issues that ordinary human beings in Nigeria would care   about; issues that would make their lives better and improved so they live healthily; issues that focuse   on the respect of    the rights of the child, and issues that make them more comfortable in   their own country.
 U-report is not a political tool.  Therefore, it is   not a platform where we discuss about rebel groups. U-report specially discusses issues, which UNICEF has the mandate to work on. Inevitably, although   it is   not a political tool, it may have   political impacts. What we are really interested in is   how to improve the lives   of the people using   the platform. It is a tool for addressing issues that have to do with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)- issues that have to do with health, maternal healthcare, access to water facilities among others.
You will find out that U-report as a platform   may have the potentials to create peace because as communities grow stronger and their services delivered, there will be less need for them   to go out of decision making process. U-report will be helpful in achieving MDGs. MDGs is what U-report is for-health, education, water, environment .All those issues are what U-reporters say they want to discuss and those are the issues   that are under the MDGs.
 How important is   the voice of the voiceless in national development?
 The voice of the voiceless is very important because the voiceless are the people that actually contribute to development. I do not think as   a country we   are supposed to segregate and say let us listen to these groups who are more privileged and let us leave out the rest because equality is the only way forward for us   to have development.
Uganda is one of the first countries to experience U-report globally. What has been the success rate there?
In Uganda, U-report has been very successful   because you find   that after three years running, we have all 260 members of parliament on board. Members of parliament are using U-report to connect   to their constituencies to find out from them how   they can improve education and welfare, to find out from them what   they think need to be done to lower unemployment rate. U-report in Uganda has been used to address banana bacterial disease outbreak in partnership with the World Bank and Uganda Ministry of Agriculture; U-report has been   used   as a platform to get information in cases   of disease outbreak.
 There have been a lot of empowerments that have been done through U-report. Most rural communities   in   Northern Uganda where U-report messages are sent   out   in   their local languages, people feel at home and being part of the process of development as they are involved   in the process of polling, sharing responses and feedback on the platform. So, there is great synergy between leaders, community members and their mobile phones.
 How far   has U-report gone in Nigeria?
In Nigeria, we have over 10, 000 U-reporters in Nigeria. It is growing very fast just after a few weeks it started. The potentials are really huge.  We are looking at over five million Nigerians at the end of the year. We are in partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and have all the corps members enlisted on the platform. Although this platform is for everyone, U-report enables us to tap into the potentials of the youths, which   have the greatest percentage of the population.
How do you intend to address challenges concerning local languages in sending out U-report messages?
 In the next couple of months, we will be having U-report in Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Pidgin English added to English language. Corps members have told us that these are the key languages in Nigeria.  We believe   that if   we are able to bring five languages on board, majority of Nigerians will be carter for.
How should one sign   up as a member of U-report?
 To sign   up as a member   of U-report, type the word join (either in small letters or in capitals) and send it to 24453. Note that all messages are free across all networks. The more the merrier; the number of membership   is not limited; gender is not segregated. Everyone can sign up as a U-reporter regardless of where they live.