Storytelling for Advocacy webinar – empowering people with lived experience to share their story

22 July 2022

On Monday 25 July we held a virtual event ahead of World Hepatitis Day. In the 90-minute session ‘Storytelling for Advicacy’, we discovered the power of storytelling and how it can be used to help advocate for better hepatitis C testing, treatment, and care in South Africa and Kenya. This event focussed on how we can harness the stories of the community as a tool for hepatitis elimination.

First, we received an update on viral hepatitis among people who use drugs in Kenya and South Africa, before moving on to a presentation about storytelling for advocacy and how it can impact viral hepatitis outcomes. We then welcomed speakers with lived experience of hepatitis and/or using drugs, who shared their story with the audience of nearly 100 people from across both countries. The event ended with a panel discussion & audience Q&A with peers, storytellers, clinicians and policymakers, who each shared how storytelling impacts their professions.

Re-watch the session

 

We’d like to extend out gratitude to all of our speakers:

• South African storyteller Mathapelo Mofokeng
• Dr. Nazila Ganatra, Head of Department,
  National Strategic Public Health Programs, Ministry of Health, Kenya
• Dr Kgomotso Vilakazi-Nhlapo, Viral Hepatitis Lead, National Department of Health, South Africa
• Dr. Wamda Abuelhassan, Gastroenterologist, Johannesburg, South Africa
• Dr. Mohammed Mwakazi, Clinical Officer and Community Development Expert &
  Medically Assisted Therapy Lead in Mombasa County, Kenya
• Koketso Mokubane, Peer, The South African Network of People Who Use Drugs (SANPUD)
• Richard Wanjohi, Peer, Support for Addiction Prevention and Treatment in Africa (SAPTA), Kenya
• Dr Andrew Scheibe, Technical Advisor at TB HIV Care, South Africa
• Sizwe Nkosi, South African storytelling participant

Resources

 

• Dr. Nazila Ganatra, Head of Department,
  
  National Strategic Public Health Programs, Ministry of Health, Kenya – presentation
• Dr Kgomotso Vilakazi-Nhlapo, Viral Hepatitis Lead, National Department of Health, South Africa – presentation
• South African storyteller Mathapelo Mofokeng – presentation

 

A special thank you to all of our event partners including Dr. Rose Wafula and Dr. Sarah Masyuko who enabled their team from the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCOP) to coordinate this event.