AUTHOR=Chumo Ivy , Kabaria Caroline , Oduor Clement , Amondi Christine , Njeri Ann , Mberu Blessing 

TITLE=Community advisory committee as a facilitator of health and wellbeing: A qualitative study in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1047133

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.1047133

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=A range of community engagement initiatives to advance health and wellbeing are currently taking place in informal settlements in low and middle income countries(LMICs), including community and stakeholder meetings, use of radio, film, TV programmes and other information, education and communication materials (IECs) organized by different stakeholders. While these initiatives tend to focus on unidirectional flow of information to communities, the need to incorporate initiatives focusing on bi or multi-directional flow of information have been identified. Despite the extensive body of literature on community engagement, the role of CACs in advancing health and wellbeing in informal settlements is still a puzzle, occasioned by considerable ambiguity. In this paper, using in-depth interviews, we document the roles of CACs in advancing health and wellbeing in Korogocho and Viwandani informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. Study participants described the role of CAC in advancing health and wellbeing through education and awareness creation, advisory roles in research and implementation goals, protecting community interests and acting as gatekeepers and partners to community partners. Identified barriers to achieving CAC roles included lack of finance and other field resources, being labelled as organization staff and low involvement by some local leaders on issues which involve the CAC constituents. Enablers of CACs in their roles included possession of appropriate skills and values by members; involvement of the community in the selection of members, regular consultative and advisory meetings, representativeness in the composition of CAC members and knowledge about the community. We conclude that CACs play key roles in advancing the health and wellbeing in informal settlements and that existing CACs mechanisms and operations should be given due consideration by researchers and project implementers right from conceptualization of a  project. CACs recognition should go beyond consultations and placations during research and project implementation to a veritable social structure for community social viability and survival as well as partners in development in pursuit of inclusive urbanization. While CACs have contributed in advancing health and wellbeing in informal settlements, there is need for a long-term strategy to optimise their impact and reduce puzzles around their roles.