Information Center & Advisory Services in Health (CISAS) - Nicaragua

The Information Center & Advisory Services in Health (Centro de Informacion y Servicios de Asesoria en Salud - CISAS) is a not-for-profit Nicaraguan non-governmental organization (NGO). It offers educational, informational and social communication services in the field of community health. The focus of CISAS has centered on popular education and communication about health adapted to the changing situation within the country and especially within the target population and the communities with which the organisation works. These are women, children under 13 years old, adolescents and the population in general.
Their mission is: To promote the participation, organisation, articulation and social impact of the population and various public and private social actors on the production of community health from a human rights perspective.

Communication Strategies
They disseminate publications, pamphlets and flyers to sentitise and raise awareness of health issues. They also hold trainings and workshops among the communities in which they work. A main component of their overall strategy includes 'Investigation, Systematization, and Monitoring' directed at the knowledge of the situation by the communities as a point of departure for initiating processes of change.

Development Issues
Health, Women, Youth, Children, Rights.

Key Points
One of the central aspects of the CISAS philosophy is the recognition that 'health is a human right that cannot be subject to any kind of discrimination'.

CISAS works through a theory of the comprehensive nature of health, which includes: a holistic concept of health, a gender and generational approach, an empowerment approach, the inclusion of the people with whom the activities are implemented, an interrelationship between different areas of work, and the combination of local action with global action.

Partners
Funding partners have included: CORDAID/MEMISA of Holland, Bread for the World Foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bernard Van Leer Foundation of Holland, the Kellogg Foundation, Medicus Mundi Navarra of Spain, the Norwegian Embassy (NORAD), CID/CIIR, CAFOD and Christian Aid of the United Kingdom.

Contact
James Campbell cedoc@cisas.org.ni

Source
Informational summary provided to The Communication Initiative by James Campbell, November 28, 2001.