Madagascar Community Capacity for Health (USAID)

The Community Capacity for Health Program (CCHP) was a five year (2016-2021) project that strengthened the capacity of the local public health system to manage community health activities and support community health volunteers. Known locally as Mahefa Miaraka, Malagasy for ‘powerful together,’ the Program worked in seven remote regions in north and west Madagascar: Analanjirofo, SAVA, DIANA, Sofia, Boeny, Melaky, and Menabe. CCHP built on the work of the former USAID-funded and JSI-managed Community-Based Integrated Health Program.

The Program envisioned thriving families and communities who could access sustained, high-quality health services at community and facility levels. The Program contributed to the Government of Madagascar’s plan to reduce maternal, child, and newborn mortality and morbidity, and expand access to family planning services. Innovations and special programs included emergency transport, community financing for health, and new approaches to integration of gender strategies including work to decrease gender-based violence and combat child, forced and early marriage. CCHP operated during three epidemics – plague, measles, COVID-19 – continuing programmatic operations, supporting the government response, and building capacity specific to each threat. 

The Community Capacity for Health Program was funded by USAID and implemented by JSI, in partnership with FHI 360, Transaid, and Action Socio-sanitaire Organization Secours of Madagascar. 

Detailed technical briefs describing the Program's work can be found on this page under Project Resources. Videos summarizing Program successes are on JSI's YouTube Channel, including videos about the Program's population, health and environment work.